Songs for the Sordid
by rcleaver
Summary: Temari, a 21 year-old frustrated, rock artist, was discovered by chance and signed to one of the largest recording companies. As the pressure of her career and personal life begins to weigh in on her, she turns to the least expected person for solace. Modern AU. Disclaimer: I don't own 'Naruto'. ShikaTema.
1. Prologue

**Title: Songs for the Sordid**

 _Plot: Temari, a 20 year-old frustrated, rock artist was discovered by chance and signed to one of the largest recording companies. As the pressure of her career and personal life begins to weigh in on her, she turns to the least expected person for solace. Naruto Modern AU. Disclaimer: I don't own 'Naruto'. ShikaTema._

 _General Warning: There will be a lot of cursing._

 _Genre: Romance, Mystery, Suspense, Angst, Family_

* * *

 **Foreword:**

It's R Cleaver here!

I've always wanted to write a music fic using Naruto or One Piece characters but I never had a proper storyline. Well, for this one, I managed to think of a very rough framework. I am hoping that by posting chapters as I write along, I would be able to complete a long, overdue story.

I hope you'd like seeing Temari as a musician as much as I do!

Enjoii. :D

 **Disclaimer:**

-I don't know the nitty gritty about the music industry but I have some knowledge about instruments and elementary music theory.

-Shikamaru would be about two years older than Temari. In addition, the Sand Siblings would have a different birth order: Kankuro (23), Temari (20), Gaara (19 i.e. Normal age). The other characters would remain in their "normal age" unless otherwise indicated. For example, Gaara and Naruto would still be of the same age i.e. 19.

* * *

 **Prologue**

Plane flights to any desert during the summer are designed to be expensive. The law of supply and demand is invisible force behind it with the premise that no one is crazy enough to go to such an environment during the peak of summer. The same concept applies even to the capital city of the Wind Country, Sand City, in spite of its recent boom in industrialization. People opt to not visit in the Sand City and it is not because of exorbitant airfare prices charged by airline companies. Sadly, most people are not interested enough in the city. Tourism is not its main attraction since there is almost nothing to see except for buildings, sand and mining sites. But for businessmen, it is considered as an undiscovered mecca for mining. It's established and lucrative business in oil, gas, and gold mining allowed the Wind Country to become one of the top prospective destinations of capital investments however, not many people know about this. Logic will argue that these business people would rather visit Sand City in any season except summer.

The current developments about Kazekage Holdings Incorporated (KHI) is just one factor among many attesting to the Wind Country's recent boom. As one of the country's top corporations, KHI have recently developed a large-scale steel refinery as its newest addition to its broad line of businesses. Rumors had many spectators assume that it is their first step to enter automobile manufacturing. In terms of capability, analysts have argued that KHI is the best candidate to venture into a highly, capital intensive industry.

These events, if common sense would be permitted to function, is reason enough for the Sand City to have more incoming flights…though an investor or two visiting on rare occasions won't crash down plane ticket prices. Besides, outrageous plane ticket prices would be the least of their concerns since they're company sponsored.

Just like two representatives from Shinobi Records; an A&R and a lawyer.

Hatake Kakashi together with his colleague and long-time friend, Sarutobi Asuma, were talking about the unbelievable cost of traveling to and from the Sand City. Its poor tourism could be something their government could work on but both men could only come up with silly solutions like making a Sand Spa, life-size, Sand Castle attractions and smart camels. They make up two of the five poor souls aboard the lonely airbus in the middle of June.

The pair had a reason to go in the unlikeliest city to visit and it is related to the aforementioned corporation. Neither men discussed the topic in the airplane since it was highly confidential.

Seeing how strong the sun was through the airplane's window, Asuma took his Raybans before taking out his luggage. He can almost feel imaginary sweat forming all over his body even if the air conditioning of the plane was doing a great job. Kakashi had already taken his knapsack and Asuma's briefcase from the overhead compartments. The grayhead dropped Asuma's case on his lap.

"Come on." Kakashi said while yawning.

Asuma jerked as he stood. He hated the heat and the idea of speeding up their meeting is driving his system at a thousand horsepower. "I'm praying that everything will go well today."

Kakashi had walked down the aisle with the dark, burly man close behind him. They were in their business casual attires already. Asuma's wife had insisted for him to carry at least a change of clothes in case the meeting extends longer but based on his gut feeling, it won't; the deal would be inked at eleven o'clock that morning.

It had to be, Sarutobi Asuma thought.

"I think it will." The lethargic man agreed with the lawyer.

Their chauffeur for the day picked them up from the arrival terminal and immediately drove them straight to their meeting's venue: the Chrysanthemum Hotel. Kakashi was reluctant to reserve a table in such a high-end hotel for a rather, low-key but nonetheless, important meeting; but when Asuma had confirmed her background, he did not cancel the reservation. In fact, he was grateful that a reservation was made in a five star hotel since it would be most appropriate for a woman of her stature. Any less, she might be turned off. After all, the Temari they were meeting was none other than the Sabaku Temari, the second of three children and only daughter of the majority stakeholder and CEO of the Kazakage Holdings Incorporated, Sabaku Rasa.

When they had arrived in the agreed place, the men were impressed by her punctuality. At 10:45, she was already there waiting for them. It was an unspoken rule to arrive for any appointment early to have enough time for you to settle down but for negotiations, the first one who is seated has the psychological advantage. Her teal eyes looked a bit unsettled but she knew what she had to do. The blonde stood up and offered a handshake.

"Mr. Hatake, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. I'm Temari." Her voice and grip were both firm. If it was a board meeting, she'd be somebody to watch out for. But it wasn't aboard meeting. What she did was breaking news. As an artist, introducing herself first and approaching label representatives is a big no-no for impressions.

Temari's confidence surprised Kakashi. It was the first time he met an unsigned artist with an ongoing deal negotiation who treated him as an equal and not as a deity.

"The pleasure is mine, Temari. I'm with Attorney Sarutobi Asuma." Kakashi gestured a hand towards him.

"Temari, nice to meet you." This time, it was Asuma who offered his hand first. "Congratulations in advance too."

"Thank you Attorney Sa-"

"Just call me Asuma." The lawyer helped her back to her seat before seating beside Kakashi who was still calling for the waiter.

The gray-haired A&R sat on his chair as soon as somebody had seen him. First he observed her. Her two-year old footages showed that she preferred muted colors over anything else. She wore black often too but not in all her garments and accessories. That time, Temari wore the rock and roll standard, black. Her form-fitting, cotton black dress reached down the middle of her calves. A confirmed natural sandy blonde, she usually ties her hair up in four ponytails - an original idea that became her trademark.

"Thank you." She said to the lawyer.

"Miss Temari, would you like something to eat?"

"I'm fine, thank you." She replied as she straightened her back against the chair. "If you don't mind, I would like to hear what the label finalized."

"Right." Kakashi said, as if he was caught off-guard. "Asuma will explain the contents of the contract."

"Temari, you and Kakashi had been talking for quite a while but you never arrived at a consensus. The label is interested in having you in a maximum contract but you want something more temporary." Asuma took out an envelope in his briefcase. "Before I explain any further, I'll give you time to read it."

"Suits me fine." Temari took the file from Asuma and carefully took out the two page contract. She checked the envelope if she had missed a page. "Just two pages?"

"Yes." The lawyer confirmed.

"And one copy?"

Asuma's eyes widened. The way she scrutinized the contract and the deal was like a business negotiator. It could only be Sabaku Rasa's upbringing or maybe, her nature. The former is more realistic. If it's the latter, then she'll be quite a business partner. "For now."

Her teal eyes scanned on the printed legal document. She gave a few nods in some portions and had frowned in others. One thing was for sure; when Sabaku Temari placed the contract on the table, she had a lot of questions in her head. Just under two minutes, she had finished reading the whole contract. Asuma was bewildered of her speed in absorbing the words in a legal contract, considering that she even reread some sections.

"What's your deal with this 'modified maximum contract'?" Her cocked eyebrows looked at both the Shinobi Label employees.

"Shinobi Records wants to give you more freedom in your music career. You will experience all the benefits of an artist with a maximum contract while retaining your control over your future decisions." Kakashi paused. "It is not exactly written there but you can end your relationship with us as soon as you release your first full-length album."

"Yes, but the contract says you guys have the final say if I can end it. Also, even if I choose to go for the maximum contract, the label can drop me anytime. It doesn't look like a fixed deal to me. If I were to put it in my own words, it looks as if I'm on trial. Sounds scary to me."

Asuma noticed that the reason why the girl was particular about having a shorter contract term but a permanent status in the label was because she knows that there is a risk that her future releases might not be as profitable in the future as it is now. Temari was being safe and he sympathized with her. From his experience im the industry, Asuma was absolutely certain that dedicating yourself in this business meant that you can live and die at anytime of the day. He saw Temari knew that and she's fighting the stigma.

"The label won't drop you without your consent. It's true that we can deny your decision if you wish to terminate your contract but that would only happen if you did not meet the targets. You see, Temari, you're smart and I understand your position but we wrote this contract because we have faith in your potential. You can easily meet the target sales written on this paper if you cooperate. Come on, your songs, on average, have a hundred thousands of listens. Imagine if we could translate that to sales." Asuma smiled at her. "If you want out after a good album, the record label would have no choice but to part ways with you. On the other hand, if you don't meet your quota that's the only time we would drop you from the label. If I would throw in my words, I think this is less binding than a normal maximum contract."

"I see." She nodded but held a few words back from coming out. The blonde looked at the confident lawyer who thought that in the next moment, she would sign the contract. "That is not clearly written here though."

Kakashi laughed and Asuma's mouth hung open. She was too smart and cautious. A perfect example of a negotiator. The A&R thought to himself that if ever Sabaku Temari gets sick of music, she can have a wonderful career as lawyer or a diplomat. "Would you like Asuma to rewrite it?"

"If it's not such a bother." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Will you choose to work with us?" Hatake Kakashi knows that she'll sign it if Asuma reworded the contract but he had to be sure.

"As long as I see the written terms as clearly as how you said it, I'll sign it."

"Then you have yourself a deal, Temari." Attorney Sarutobi chuckled. He took out his laptop computer.

The girl watched him in disbelief.

"I shall revise the contract right in front of you." With what he said, Sabaku Temari smirked.


	2. About the Artist - Page 1

**About the Artist - Page 1**

Waiting for a phone call without anything else to do is torture for any person accustomed to fast-paced and stressful environments. More so, she is expecting that day to be one of the stressful ones.

Three minutes. Three _long_ minutes since she has been shifting glances between her phone and her laptop screen. But it felt a lot longer. Staring at loading cursor atop the music editing application made seem time go slower than it could be. She saved it on 8:03 AM yet her file had not been exported as a flat mp3. Just when she thought she could save time by multi-tasking, her stress level shot up partially as caused by waiting.

She was tired to begin with. The evening prior, the budding rock singer had her third pre-production session with the album's producer. Two of the four songs she had played made it to album with much convincing. Maito Gai, the overly enthusiastic producer, wanted more youthful spark and 'charging' energy in her songs. In other words, something more pop which Temari had been disagreeing to. She was signed as a rock artist to begin with and her contract specifies that her hands are tied until she releases one **rock** mini-album and one **rock** full-length album of substantial sales.

She was done with the first condition. Venom, her first mini-album, was a re-recording of the songs she had been performing during her indie days in Sand City. Shinobi Records was keen on rereleasing her indie songs digitally. After all, these were her rawest and most creative songs to date. It was much appreciated by nonconforming music fans and loved by almost all first time listeners, whether recorded or live. 'Opal', an upbeat rock song drawing influences from 70s punk and lyrically witty, was featured in a big-budget Action Film 'Run and Gun'* because one of the Music Supervisors was from the Sand and had listened to her perform once. That lucky break is what had saved her music career. Shinobi Records signed her after chancing upon her song in the lengthy credits scene. If it wasn't luck, she doesn't know how to call it.

Producing 'Venom' became too natural for her. The studio musicians simply imitated her demo tapes while incorporating improvements in technicalities. It only took three days to finish recording and another week to produce it. A month after that, 'Opal' and 'Tornado' had both charted in the Fire and Wind Countries; peaking at number 1 in the Rock Charts of her home country.

But seven months of smooth riding ended too soon; _everything had been going well_ until she started having **demo sessions** for the album. She perfectly remembered the exact date and time when the road started to be too bumpy: June 8, 2021, 1:44PM. The day she started crafting her first full-length album.

Her vision for _her_ album is different from what her producer is saying. And in the music industry, they're treated as gods. For two months, she had wrestled with Maito Gai but the self-proclaimed 'Green Beast' was too stubborn to convince otherwise. Temari already spoke with her A&R, Kakashi, but he believes that Gai is the best producer for her.

The foreign lady concluded that she needed a break. Both her body and mind wanted to stop working but the drive to finish her current preoccupation kept her going for the past two or three hours. Now, she was not so sure anymore. Exhaling deeply, she closed her burning eyes and her mind flew to visions forgotten at the instance they changed. Taking a nap was out of the question. Those few seconds her eyes were shut was the only form of rest she allowed herself to have. Her plans for the day should take precedence.

When her phone beeped, she returned to her highly strung mood. The message she had been waiting for was right there.

It was a message from somebody labeled Sabaku Gaara. This somebody is one of the most relevant people in her life, her younger brother.

'Good morning Temari. We're leaving the River Country. Dad's minions cancelled Kankuro's little side trip. See you in an hour.'

'Did you have breakfast? I can reserve a restaurant if you want to.' Temari replied instantly.

Her phone beeped again this time. 'I had coffee back in the hotel. I'll ask Kankuro if he had eaten anything.' Sabaku Kankuro is Temari and Gaara's older brother. He might be two years older than Temari but she has more dominance than him over their siblings because of his naturally, laid-back disposition.

Meanwhile, Temari gasped when her work was finished saving. She transferred the file to her phone and played the instrumental track of 'Tears'. It may be lacking her guitar parts and the final keyboard arrangement yet the pseudo-song sounded majestic. The drumming pattern was reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine during its riffs. Temari could just imagine the exaggerated reactions that Gai and the Sound Engineer, Aoba, would have if she plays this song to them.

 _Terrific._

She won't play _this song_ yet for this week's preprod**.

During the second chorus, Temari's quiet singing voice cracked not because of lack of oxygen or talent but she saw Gaara's reply. Seeing her brothers was listed above over her artsy mania in her mental ranking chart.

It has been five months since she saw them and she missed them more than ever.

When she checked the time, it was 8:08 AM. The artist, turned off her laptop, returned her USB keyboard controller and headphones inside her makeshift studio. A message from Gaara flashed up again on her phone's screen.

'Dad's new slave hasn't eaten anything yet but he said no restaurants. A cheap diner or your cooking will do.'

The blonde chuckled at her older brother's suggestion. Kankuro didn't hate her cooking but he's a fault finder and a great one at that. Preparing something for him would not be worth the effort because all she would get are degrading remarks. 'Tell Kankuro that I don't cook during Sundays. He'll be having some diner food for breakfast.'

'Diner is it then.'

'You're fine with almost anything."

'I'm just less picky than you or Kankuro...'

As second later, Gaara sent another message. 'By the way Temari, I forgot to tell you that Kankuro will be extending his stay there for two weeks. Of course, he'll be crashing in at your place. Don't tell him that I told you."

'WTH? He can have the company sponsor his hotel lodging.'

She immediately sent another message.

'Kankuro is earning more money than me but he's scheming to leech off at his struggling sister.'

And another.

'It would be so much better if you're around. You have the best allowance among the three of us.'

But Gaara, replied pronto.

'Sorry. I have classes back in Suna Uni.'

Temari sent her last message before leaving for the airport. 'I better get going. Will send you a message if I'm at the airport. See you there.'

Showering when her head was particularly heavy will drive Temari nuts. Some weight was taken off when she had exchanged a few messages with Gaara but it returned immediately when she could not find her bath towel. A second later, she remembered that it was still in the laundry. She scampered to her dresser and searched for an extra towel. Luckily, she still had one but the smell of moth balls made her nose cringe.

Time was not on her side anyway. Sacrificing her skin with an unhealthy towel is necessary.

"Advanced happy fucking birthday Sabaku Temari." She muttered to herself.

* * *

Before heading in the shower stall, she played some tunes from The Clash and turned the volume up.

The airport was usually thirty minutes away from her apartment she made it in twenty-one minutes. It was convenient to avail of the valet service. Temari wanted to believe that because of her luck, she chose the service rather than parking it the normal way to keep her cool. Leaf City is a busy city and having road traffic is a fact. Late plan landings though, happened with 0.01% probability. But it happened to the plane from the Land of Rivers. The same air transportation vehicle that carried her brothers.

One thing to be happy about was that there were just a few people coming out of the hallway. They were supposed to arrive at 9:00 but five, ten, fifteen minutes have passed and no plane from Rivers had landed.

Half-past nine, Temari was keeping herself entertained by observing those around her. Her ears though, were auto-programmed to jolt her brain if it hears 'rivers'.

"Announcing the arrival of Flight XXX-XXX-XXX from the Land of Rivers."

Temari's body moved on its own towards the bare walkway. Knowing any Sabaku, they will be flashy. Their family's men, in particular, would be grumpy after going through such an ordeal. Her father would not say much about it but he would give somebody working for the airport a casual, one-liner, death threat bad enough to traumatize whoever this pathetic guy is. Their mother, Karura, would just laugh at their father whenever he does it because his temper was much worse when he was younger. Temari could just imagine how bad it was. She had a rough idea of it though since both her brothers had taken after The Patron of Anger.

Gaara would react least visibly but if somebody would ask about how his flight went, he'd describe vividly how he would torture its owner. Their youngest sibling had a penchant for violence and it spans from being very violent to being the king of torture. Sometimes, even Temari gets creeped out by it. Only Kankuro could calm him down for some "brotherly" reason. On the other hand, Kankuro would do things impulsively. The minute he sees any attendant, he will scream at the poor person as if he's the fault of everything that had gone wrong in the world.

While waiting for a commotion, she was surprised to see her brothers calm. Her eyes were immediately glued to Gaara's unruly red shag. It looked stylish on him but that haircut spoke louder than anything else. Most likely, Gaara was experimenting as a fashion recluse. Even though he's the most reserved among them, he is the riskiest. The nineteen year-old's strength and ability to earn considerable earnings in the stock market bested even his father and it was all thanks to his guts.

Temari's vision zoomed in on them. Gaara, who was dressed to kill as always, was two or three paces ahead of Kankuro who was on the phone with someone. The younger Sabaku son had on a long, red, open trench coat over a plain white dress shirt that she got for him for his last birthday. Slim-cut, designer jeans and brown oxfords completed his outfit. His light, teal eyes was carefully scanning the waiting bystanders. A smile formed on her face as they closed in on her.

"You guys are late." Temari smirked at them. It was the trademark smile of the siblings, courtesy of their father.

"Temari." Gaara said as she run forward and hugged him.

While on the phone, Kankuro nodded at her but she stuck her tongue out. "I can't believe that guy. He sees me for the first time in months and he just _nods."_ She complained to Gaara.

"Have pity on him. It looks like their contact in the Land of Rivers wants another meeting with him." Gaara replied in monotone but a sly smile formed on his face. "Sometimes I wonder how a slacker like him turned out to be tolerably responsible."

"If forced to." The blonde reiterated. "The key word is _forced_. If he wasn't in the company, he'd be a slob as always but anything he will do would reflect on dad and if dad gets mad it won't be nice."

"Even if it's our big bro." He giggled again at Kankuro's suffering.

"How's Granny Chiyo?" Temari asked with her eyes following Kankuro. She thought something was off about him. He was stressed yes, but never did he show anger whenever he's anxious.

"Better. Mom has officially declared herself as Granny's nurse until she completely heals."

"That's good to hear. I can't imagine her just dying when I look forward to her fake death pranks." Temari continued.

Their attention was caught when Kankuro grabbed his hair in one hand and stomped his foot on the floor while moving around in circles. His actions confirmed her suspicions that he was mad about something. Temari could only think of one thing: a change in schedule. Both her brothers did not have the luxury of time anymore. Actually, everyone in their family had their hands full for most of the time.

Straight out of college, the eldest Sabaku got a job in the Kazekage Holdings at his own merit. His grades weren't as stellar as Gaara's but his thoroughness and fortitude in forming strategies contributed greatly to the corporation's Corporate Planning Department. But their father had a different plan for Kankuro; to develop his son's decision making skills he was made into a Business Development Manager in the company's newest venture, agriculture. Kankuro is not a scientist or a sales person (he has a Mechanical Engineering degree) but in a few months, he proved his competence in advancing the corporation's plans into actual projects. As a result, the eldest Sabaku was made responsible in all deals from Fire, Earth and recently, Rivers. Senior management was not very happy with his sudden promotion but they were proved wrong when he had sealed a joint venture deal in Fire Country's Wood City in just two months.

The younger Sabaku is not any less promising. In fact, he had the most potential among the Sabaku children. He skipped a grade and was admitted as an Academic Scholar in Suna University. People would not expect much from a nineteen year-old sophomore university student but Gaara had already written scholarly articles about Zero Sum Game and Euler's theorem. The University had already considered grooming him for professorship but Gaara was not interested in pursuing a career in the academe. Little did they know, the silent prodigy had an eye for real time numbers; he played with stocks, foreign exchange and all sorts of financial instruments since he was in high school. He even manages his family's personal portfolio since the time when their father experienced a bad loss in the last economic scare. Gaara, astoundingly, recovered their dad's bad investments in three months.

Worried, Temari called out her fuming, older brother. "Kankuro! What the heck is wrong?"

"Hi Temari." He waved at her but continued to clench his right fist visibly. "Are you well?"

"Certainly better than you."

"Sorry...looks like I have to resume working the day after tomorrow." He placed his arm over her shoulders.

"Great. That means I don't have to feed you for two weeks." Temari laughed when she saw Gaara pout for a bit. She broke her tiny promise.

"How did you know that? There's no point in surprising you anymore." Kankuro pushed Temari's forehead with his forefinger while keeping his possessive arm on his sister's shoulder.

"Please don't do that. It looks disgusting." Cringing and twitching, Gaara walked off, dragging his bright red suitcase.

"What's up with you?" Discovering that Gaara was suddenly uncomfortable with her and Kankuro's display of filial affection aroused Temari's curio.

The brunette gave out a loud chuckle that sounded like a choking chicken. "That's because his innocent mind saw something he shouldn't have concerning our parents. We're like mommy and daddy's juniors and it sickens him to see us like this."

"Kissing?"

"No."

She gasped. "…was it something worse?" Temari felt a bit of acid going up from her stomach. Even she cannot imagine that her parents acting sweet and chummy.

"Come on Temari. You know that our father has an ego much higher than ours combined. I was out on a trip that time and Gaara was scheduled to have late classes. He was let off a bit earlier and he saw our folks dancing in the balcony. He noticed our kid brother but he just smiled at Gaara and mom kept on laughing."

"While they danced away." She added.

" _While_ they danced away." Repeating what she said made her even more puzzled.

"It's not so traumatizing."

"It polluted his head."

Her darker teal eyes blinked at Kankuro's deep brown eyes while the latter was nodding. "They weren't doing something scandalous enough to have us vomiting. Our father has a real soft spot for mom. Even though how hard he tries to hide it, he can't. Having three consecutive children is proof of that. I don't know why Gaara is too shocked. He should know by now that babies are not delivered by storks."

"It's not like that. Gaara believes that our dad is a machine."

"Make it the three of us, Kankuro. He appears to be a machine. Even to his own kids but we know better."

"If your mind operates on logic, the only line of reasoning is 'because the boss wants two sons'. Gaara thinks that way unlike you… who is much more perceptive."

* * *

There are singers who hate hearing their own songs on the radio and Temari is one of them. Worse, she heard it in a moderately occupied rundown diner located in Leaf City's red light district. The song was arguably good; great even. To date, 'Opal' has been her most popular song. A reminder that she's the fad of a rocker chic of last year. Some people sang along to her song, others were indifferent. There were those who are happy to hear 'Opal' while others reacted adversely. She still was not used to having such attention from the public even though she's been faced with similar situations in the past six months.

Temari played with her hot chocolate as her brothers talked about the playing music. They were seated beside each other on the couch while she was opposite Gaara.

"I have that song on my playlist." Gaara commented.

Examining the unsavory looking subway sandwich, Kankuro was delayed in responding. "Do you even have a playlist?"

"Unlike you, I have reached nirvana and is experiencing earth to the fullest." The pale redhead slightly smiled as if he had the time of his life.

"That includes drinking caffeinated beverages as an insomniac." Finally Kankuro took a leap of faith. His mouth took a sizeable bite off the sandwich. He chewed it critically.

"Opal or terrible?" Gaara asked. Opal meant great.

"Quite opal." Kankuro replied as he chewed.

The eldest Sabaku was not having the day of his life. His meeting earlier ended up in civil disagreements, as Gaara recounted. It was worsened when Kankuro had received four unsolicited offers from the area's main commodity the moment he stepped out of Temari's ten year-old sedan. His charcoal gray, customized, tailored suit, red Armani dress shirt, pure silver watch and Salvatore Ferragamo shoes gave the prowlers an idea of his sizeable paycheck. This forced Temari to have them eat at the nearest diner from the parking area rather than her favorite cheap place. That sandwich might have improved his mood though.

The singer pointed to his plate. "The first good thing you had today."

"Nope." A wide grin formed on his face while looking straight at the munching Temari. She was baffled by the way he was looking at her; as if he's plotting something. Right there and then, Gaara scoffed on his own.

"Am I missing out on something?" Temari asked both of them.

"In this diner, two good things had already happened. The second one is the yummy food. The first thing is your song, 'Opal'. We take pleasure in seeing people digging your stuff." Gaara explained to her.

"We're your very proud brothers." Kankuro's grin grew bigger. "And it's been a while since we saw you feeling awkward when you hear your songs played publicly."

"Well… There are painters who are uncomfortable in viewing their own paintings." She argued. "I'm being normal."

"We are a lot of things Temari, but being normal is not one of them." What Gaara had said is true. None of them were exactly the conventional normal type of person. They were brought up in a suburban mansion and city penthouses, educated in exclusive, private schools and attended formal gatherings regularly. Both her brothers accepted and lived up to the fact they had the privilege that many others do not have and lived up to their father's expectations from them. Temari, though, sidetracked a bit. Having a rock musician for a daughter never crossed Sabaku Rasa's mind. In fact, even their mother, or any of her brothers thought that she would take it seriously. If, by some turn of event, a management contract and a record deal never happened, Temari could have followed the intended plan for her.

But it didn't and she's grateful for it.

"That idea messed me up too much." She sighed deeply. "I want to be normal… or feel normal at least."

"What's normal in being a rockstar?" The brunette hooted. "Temari is famous in two countries. You're a great artist and an even better singer. Having talent makes you different from others but it's something you worked hard for. It is hard work that separated you from being an average girl and you're anything but that."

"I did not expect hearing such intelligent words from you." She mocked him to hide her agreement. Everything he said was factual. She worked hard to reach her current status. There's no way in hell she'll trade it for anything else. What she was being sentimental about is that, outside of her career, outside the artist Temari, the real person does not live an average life. Back in Suna, she never rode public transportation vehicles. All their cars amounted to at least fifty thousand dollars. Their house in itself is five times more than the lifetime earnings of an average employee. How can anybody call that normal?

"In other words, you're being maudlin for nothing." Gaara added. "We're born richer than most people but that doesn't mean we're aliens."

"Maudlin. Big word." Temari remarked.

Kankuro continued Gaara's statement. "So, we just have to live with it. It's the same thing as being born with red, blonde or brown hair."

"I guess you guys are right." Temari smiled while she spaced out looking at her untouched pancakes.

"So, after this where to?" Kankuro said while yawning.

"Manners, Kankuro." She warned him.

"See, that's not normal." He complained to Gaara who nodded in approval.

"You guys didn't tell me to arrange anything." She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"He could use some sleep." Gaara was referring to Kankuro.

"I'm good to go. We can, maybe go to a Casino or something." He ruffled Gaara's thick, silky red hair. "My vacation is going to be interrupted. I'd better do the stuff I've been planning to do."

"We don't gamble." Temari declared.

"But it's the same with what we have been doing in our lives." Kankuro winked at her.

"No. Let him sleep." Gaara told his sister. "This guy had been working for days."

It was a good time to torture Kankuro. He has always been their subject in teasing. "If you say so, Gaara. But what should we do?"

"We can meet my friends." Gaara smiled a bit.

Temari knew exactly the group of people Gaara was referring to. Some of them had made it to her list of her friends. "You mean all the kids you befriended when you were an exchange student here?" Gaara was not the friendliest person in their family but he actually kept contact with people he had met two years ago. Some of them made it to her list of friends. "They're cool."

"Yes. Well, they're not just my friends. They're _our_ friends. When Naruto visited Wind Country, I showed him around. I guess, he'll be touring _Temari and me_ to the best hangouts in town."

She whistled. "Knowing that blondie, he'll bring you to the best bar in town."

"Great. Have fun without me." He pursed his lips; a gesture he often does when he wants something. Definitely, the already stressed out Rasa Junior would love to have some fun.

Temari loudly cackled while Gaara let out a refine giggle.

"We were just screwing with you." Temari told him. "Of course we won't go out tonight without our sociable brother."

"And Naruto has a lot of single, girlfriends which, I'm sure, would delight you."

"If you're gonna bring some of your friends. I should bring mine too." Kankuro said. "You should bring your friends Tem. Come on, you've been here for half a year. It's impossible for you to be… friendless."

"Guys, the people who would pass as my friends are either on tour, recording or shooting." Temari said softly.

"That is wretched." Gaara muttered to himself.

After having breakfast, Temari did as Gaara advised. They went straight to her apartment and they forced Kankuro to sleep in her room which she prepared for them. Her unit had two bedrooms; one was Temari's sleeping room and the other is her mini-studio. It was spacious enough for one or two persons but too crowded for three siblings who are greedy for space and privacy.

The moment Kankuro had laid on the bed, he fell asleep. He did not even change his clothes or unpack his things. It was only then she noticed that he wore a black, thin steel rope necklace around his neck. He had a liking for gothic and almost crazy fashion when he was younger. There was a time when he wore purple face paint on his face almost every day. Their father did not castigate him for that since their mother had assured that he will outgrow it and Kankuro did. At twenty-three, he looked and acted the part of a reliable, older brother while still being the quirky guy he was. The black chain reminded Temari of her life a few years back.

A sad smile formed on her face. Life was definitely easier when she was younger when all she had were dreams and nothing else. Now, it is all about meeting impossible expectations.

When she went out to check how Gaara is handling the tiny apartment, she found him sleeping against the wall, sitting flat on the floor. She shook her head. Waking up her younger brother will definitely piss him off. It's better to leave him like that.

She had a few hours to work. After all, solitude is one of the best state to be creative.

The time on her screen flashed 2:47 PM, 22 August 2020. When she looked around her typhoon-stricken unit, namely Sabaku Gaara and Sabaku Kankuro, she found the redhead on her couch. Temari did not notice how and when he moved from the floor to the more comfortable sofa.

She stopped laying down samples on the track. Everything was not going well with the track with a temporary title 'Track3'. The chord progression was there, the sections are also well made but the arrangement needs work. Temari is the kind of musician who based her tune to the lyrics. Everything begins with structured poems. If she needs to change some vocal parts, then she might have to change the words of Track3… which meant changing up the tune, and some sections of the song. The task that lie ahead was bummed her.

She took a bar of chocolate and ate it while sitting on her kitchen counter. After that, she'd have to listen to the samples Aoba mixed and emailed the night before. The sound engineer is a cool guy but her Producer, the ever energetic Gai, would bug her soon if she doesn't give her comments in the next thirty seconds.

Chocolate or any sweet food is a mortal sin for singers. Temari gulped down three glasses of lukewarm water to soothe her throat before returning to her current workspace a.k.a. her mini dining table. She wore her headphones and played Aoba's samples for the album's untitled intro track, 'Black Cola', and 'Thought Police' in that order.

All tracks were fast tempo, rock songs drawing from 70s and 80s punk but retained a modern flavor. Her big, husky low and mid-range voice suited this kind of music best in her opinion but her listeners loved listening to her upper range albeit limited to the fifth octave. Some of her Venom songs, like 'Opal' had the whole chorus and bridge in the fifth octave. The first note of the last chorus though, was a C6. Temari reached the note while recording by exclamation. She cannot fully belt it out because it's way up there. If she uses her head voice, it sounds too weak compared to her fifth octave. She'll have to think of a way to sing it live. That was her dilemma and her producer wants her to hear more fifth octave notes in her songs...

Temari already accepted that her range is limited until the fifth octave. Pushing her voice further might destroy her voice… an unspoken fear that plagues her day in and out.

* * *

A/N:

*'Run and Gun' - a fake movie in a fic

**Preprod - short for preproduction

Thanks for reading! For those who followed, another thank you! The first two or three chapters shall focus on Temari's background as a person and her artistry. Will update soon! :D


	3. About the Artist - Page 2

**About the Artist - Page 2**

Rock Lee, a carbon copy of Maito Guy, fetched the Sabaku Siblings from Temari's apartment. She was intrigued by his similarity to her hyperactive producer. Her curiosity was satisfied when Lee mentioned that his Master and Number One idol is Maito Gai while he and Gaara spoke about martial arts.

They were the last to arrive because the Leaf locals were planning on having a mini surprise from their Sand City friends which only Kankuro, visibly appreciated. Temari saw familiar faces from back when she and Gaara were still in high school and it made her feel nostalgic. Three years ago, her younger brother was an exchange student in the Leaf City's top High School. This made the older Sabaku children to seize every chance they could get to travel to the city, dote on Gaara and get out of their house. Thus, they came to know Gaara's close and loose friends in the Leaf.

The extroverted and amiable Uzumaki Naruto was definitely their introvert brother's closest friend. They are of the same age and shared the same upbringing which made Gaara open up to him. The kung-fu maniac Rock Lee, the snobbish perfect man Uchiha Sasuke, the calm and proud Hyuuga Neji were also close friends of Gaara. Haruno Sakura became a formal friend of his — and theirs, when she had administered first aid treatment to the badly fractured shoulder of Kankuro two years ago. The other faces are: genius Nara Shikamaru, gluttonous Akimichi Choji, the girl next door Yamanaka Ino, indifferent Takashi Sai, spunky Shira Tenten, serious Hyuuga Neji the peculiar Aburame Shino, energetic Inuzuka Kiba, and shy Hyuuga Hinata.

For Temari, all of them were considered as acquaintances except maybe for Naruto, Sakura, Tenten and Shikamaru. Naruto was a very easy guy to get along with. It did not take ten seconds for her to get along with him. Everything about him was an open book and she appreciated that. Sakura, one of Naruto's closest friends (and obvious crush long ago), is an intelligent and kind girl. Temari liked talking with her because they talked mostly about politics, culture and a lot of 'smart' things. Tenten though, had a bit of a rivalry issue with her. When the Chinese-looking girl sparred with her in the gym one time, Temari effortlessly beat her up. That defeat became a chip on the proud Tenten shoulder and Temari could not fathom how she could cling unto it for years. If that didn't happen, she's sure they'll get along pretty well.

All of them are her friends though. On the other hand, she doesn't know what to think of Shikamaru.

Her first encounter with the Nara was painful. He whipped her in a game of chess. It was a terrible loss and Kankuro did not stop yapping about it to their parents back home. What made it so bad for her was that she never lost a strategy game to anyone. Though, in their next meeting, they had a much more courteous conversation in spite of their clash brought by his chauvinistic thoughts and her feminist tendencies. For some reason, Temari kept on seeing him by chance whenever she is in the Leaf City and the she even saw him the only time he was in Sand City. If what she's feeling against Shikamaru is the same as Tenten's spite towards her is the same, then she understood it perfectly why she can't get over it even after three years.

Kankuro immediately assimilated in the group. According to Gaara, only Hinata was off-limits because she was dating Naruto and the redhead would have a lot of explaining to do if Kankuro accidentally flirts with the dainty girl Naruto is high protective of. In thirty minutes, Kankuro already settled in the bar with the exquisite blue-eyed blonde Yamanaka Ino. It seemed that they were having a great time but her mind started preparing excuses that Gaara will relay to Naruto once their playful brother does something unwarranted to the girl.

The evening was fine until Sakura was excused by Sasuke. The table she was at seated only Akimichi Chouji, Takashi Sai and Nara Shikamaru. It was the worst she could ask for. Chouji was fine but he was a bit scared of her. Sai is about the same age as Kankuro and they had worked together before. That should be a starting point of their conversation but he was a bit off that evening and had his eyes glued on the bar counter. Temari could only think of one thing and she's sure, it's one hundred percent correct based on how the conversation went.

"If you want, we can barge in on them." She said to Sai who take aback.

"They're having a good time. Let's just leave it at that." He said bluntly. "Besides, he's your brother."

"No." Temari would have to disagree with him. She knew Kankuro too well and she is certain that he might burn bridges just because of his incessant desire for women. "I don't want my brother fighting somebody because of a girl. Besides, the two of you worked together in a project before. I can't just allow you destroying your professional relationship because of a girl… a very pretty girl."

"As expected from Temari." Chouji said while chewing. "I told you it's a good idea to let her join the conversation, Shikamaru."

"My bad." The tall and thin man said sluggishly. "How do you plan to go about it, Temari?"

"Easy." She smirked which tensed up Shikamaru. He always reacts differently when she smirks. She never asked him why. The only reason she could think of, though, was he didn't like dealing with intelligent and confident women because 'they were too troublesome'. "I'll cut them off, and the rest of you will follow my lead. I know Kankuro like the back of my hand. He won't take any offense with whatever we're plotting."

Temari stood up as she straightened her black tank top. Her dark, skinny jeans hung a bit too low so some of her abdomen's skin shows. Usually, she won't be conscious of it even in the company of men but Shikamaru's scowl when he saw her top crawl up to show a bit more skin alarmed her. He's a real chauvinist (hates women and everything about them) but she tends to respect people's wishes so she pulled down her top as far as it would stretch.

The tall, curvy, blonde navigated her way in narrow passage in between tables towards her brother. It was no question that he loved Ino's company. The bimbo wore an orange tube, tight-fitting dress that left little to a man's imagination. But what surprised her was that he did not peek down her cleavage or touch her even though she seemed like asking for it… and it was impossible for her older brother to resist such temptation no matter how weak. She snuck up behind him, clamped her hand on his shoulder and smiled at the girl who was facing Kankuro, suggestively seated a feet away from him.

"Hey Ino, sorry to cut your conversation but I have a tendency of warning girls whenever they're around Kankuro." She heard him grunt. "He's a real heart breaker. Never had a girlfriend but had hundreds of flings."

"I'm sure he is." She laughed. "We were just talking about the basics of botany which he's keen on learning and his girlfriend."

She blinked at him. "You have a girlfriend?! Wait..." Her thoughts processed everything in a second. The giggling Ino and the relaxed "I get it. My idiotic brother is helping you." Temari giggled.

"Yes." He said. "I guess you owe me Temari. You better call that slowpoke Sai while Ino and I would continue our little ploy."

"Fine."

Temari ordered several shots and pretended to cuss. "Hey! Don't expect me to carry your orders back to the table!"

All three men, Sai, Shikamaru and Choji, had goosebumps. Shikamaru was the first to react but the last to move to the counter. Kankuro called out to Sai, who could not help but smile at his former superior. They went on talking about Leaf City's new plant species discoveries which Ino was quite knowledgeable about.

Both Ino's childhood friends, Shikamaru and Chouji, were playing matchmaker for Ino but it was Kankuro who was the most successful that time. Somehow, Temari felt victorious relative to Shikamaru's matchmaking skills.

 _But it's not chess Temari. Pencil dude defeated you shamelessly._

While drinking her serving of soda, Chouji's company was stolen by an overly eager Tenten. She wanted to beg Tenten to make the big person stay but the Sand City native was sure she'd refuse. Shikamaru and her eyes met and they knew at that instant they were thinking of the same thing. Both of them acted awkwardly around each other and they are too smart to notice it. For this reason, they avoid any situation that will force them to endure each other's company.

For Temari, nothing was worse than being left with N-A-R-A-S-H-I-K-A-M-A-R-U an hour before her birthday. She just found out earlier that the Leaf City had a special non-working holiday the following day to celebrate the harvest festival. So, even though it was a Sunday, everybody is having a good time. And that includes the sighing man on her left even if he's one of the few who isn't enjoying the evening. The other two would have to be Sabaku Temari and Takashi Sai.

A lot of orders were made and the lengthy conversation they had was silent. Each had their inner monologues running directed at the other.

Before a word could form on his mouth, a sound came out of hers.

"You go first." Temari said sharply.

"No, you say it first." He rubbed his head.

"I was about to ask what you were saying because I did not hear it when the DJ turned up the music." Temari knew Shikamaru is smart enough to know that she said it to make him speak. In truth, she was supposed to say 'We should have joined Chouji or else we're faced to deal with each other for the time being."

"I was gonna ask if you drink any alcohol at all." Another sigh. It might have been his thousandth sigh since they were left together.

"I drink but not during music projects... I should refuse any offer since it is my responsibility to take care of my voice.."

"I thought rockers drink booze, smoke and do drugs."

"Some do, but I don't." She snapped. "There you go again with your prejudice."

"Sorry, ma'am. You're never wrong." He commented.

"Tsk." Temari could help it. Whenever she says something, he'll react to it and then she'll be left to either kill him over it or dropping it. Just like chess. He'll give the last move to her but she knows its game over either way. The 5'8, hazel-eyed man riled her effortlessly.

"Sorry. The alcohol got to me." He smiled at her while Temari's muddled eyes flickered. "I never had the chance to congratulate you for being a successful artist. Let me say that now; congratulations."

He never apologized to anyone but she got one out of him without any warning. The best way to accept such remark is thank him but Temari's mouth isn't working properly because it was currently processing the current Shikamaru. "Thank you." She replied in auto-pilot. "You must be thinking I'm such a bitch that I never said hi to you guys when I was here for the whole time."

"No." Shikamaru glanced at her sideways while gulping down the beer he struggled to finish. "None of us knew you were recording here. If you google 'Temari', it would say that you're based in Sand City. I guess being a public figure also have its downsides. You can't go out whenever you want or just do as you please because you are a, sad to say, product."

"You have it spot on, brain wiz." Temari chuckled. "But you got one thing wrong. I'm not a public figure; just a musician."

"A musician, yes, but you have a considerable following. It's not every day a person like you is shown on TV."

"What do you mean?"

"You're different compared to the other bullshit they offer."

"I guess to earn money in the industry, you really have to be crap." Temari looked at him. Her face wore the cocky arrogant mask. "Tell me, Nara Shikamaru—"

"Buzzed Nara Shikamaru."

"Okay, buzzed Nara Shikamaru, please tell me how I am different compared to them?"

He moved in a position reminiscent to 'The Thinker' which earned a laugh from his interrogator. "You're not different like being a history landmark or something but you, as an artist, yo-you're real and that's rare. I find that fascinating. **The you that you are now, the one talking to me, is the same you on TV**. "

Temari was sure that he was drunk since Shikamaru would never say something like that to her if he is wide awake. He bent over the counter and winced. She stood up and shook him.

"Hold on, I'll call Chouji."

He looked up at her teal eyes and grinned at her while standing up clumsily. "There's no need…" But Shikamaru lost his balance and anchored his hand on Temari's shoulder. He was taller than her and that was one thing that made Temari feel like something she had lost against him. At 5'6, the only Sabaku daughter was relatively tall for a girl, but she wanted to out-height her secret adversary to add a win in her losing streak. "Thanks."

"I should call Chouji."

* * *

Any guy she knew would have sufficed but Temari knew that Shikamaru never got drunk and it made her feel unsettled. Chouji helped him to find his way out to the balcony but he kept a close eye on him to make sure than he didn't do something crazy like jump out of the 25th floor. Temari remained focused at him even though he was barely visible through the glass walls.

"Temari, watcha looking at?" The fair blondie asked the sandy blonde. "Shikamaru will be fine. He just got dizzy. That's all there is."

"First time I saw him get tipsy." When she was scanning for Kankuro, she noticed that only Ino and Sai remained in the bar. "Where's Kankuro?"

"He said he had to call someone." Sai, whose mood improved since earlier, answered. His picture perfect empty smile somewhat irked Temari.

Temari, felt like teasing him. "I feel like _calling someone_."

A change in his phony smile showed although Temari could not place it well. "How's Shino?"

Ino's eyes widened at her. Some rumors flew in Shino's circle because, well, there were a bunch of loudmouths like this guy she cannot understand. "Why don't you ask him?"

"Wait…" Ino shook Temari's arm lightly. "You dating Shino?!"

"Dated. Once or twice." She replied lethargically. Her eyes darted towards the balcony and she found Chouji rubbing Shikamaru's back while bending over the balcony.

"What?!" How?!" She was too eager to know and Temari knew that it was Sai's way of exacting his revenge when she dropped a hint earlier. Slapping him was Temari's of doing things usually but her mind stopped her. He's just a bit childish and she cannot imagine how the _Ino_ is head over heels for him.

Temari wanted to say the least words to describe how she ended up dating Shino for a while and for two different periods in her life. The first time she went out with the aspiring entomologist was two years ago. She was formally introduced to him one of the times she and Kankuro crashed in the Leaf City for the weekend. Weeks or months after that, the eccentric bassist's band went to Sand City to play a very underground show where Temari happened to be at. They had some things in common. Both of them had a bias for Orange amplifiers which was rare for any musician she knew. They also didn't drink before or after shows. The next day, Shino asked her out and Temari accepted. After that, they checked on each other for a while until interest dwindled. Well, it didn't really. When Temari relocated to Leaf City, she chanced upon him again in an underground gig. Unlike her, his shoegaze band, 'Le Konchu' remained in the underground scene. They went out again the day after the gig but it was mostly a guy and girl day out. Nothing special happened or crazy like Kankuro's dating habit. Not that she was expecting more. "I met him in a gig and we went out for a while after that."

"How come you aren't talking to each other right now?!" Her voice filled the whole bar area. Attracting attention was Ino's thing and certainly it bothered Temari, because of her personality and job. It's a good thing she wore her hair differently than usual. Her sandy blonde hair was in a tight bun and her notable teal eyes was concealed by a tinted pair of black-rimmed eyeglasses. Her defining features as Temari is concealed and no stranger noticed her disguise.

 _Fuck you Sai._ Temari did not want to conceal anymore. Well, if Ino had a bit of Shikamaru's calm she'd have figure some things out by then. "It has something to do with my job."

It took a while before her furrowed eyebrows to raise, indicating that the pretty university girl finally understood what Temari had tried to say in a gist. "Being in showbiz is tough!"

"But you do modelling, right?"

"Endorsements mostly but nothing wild like your case."

Around that time, Kankuro returned and acted like a wingman for his too blunt and too insensitive old colleague. Sai could only speak to Ino whenever Kankuro is running the conversation. She wanted give Sai a push a.k.a. a lecture about how he should do things.

The night, from there, became uneventful for Temari. She wanted to join in on Gaara but he was having serious catching up with Naruto. The two guys did not leave each other's company since the Sabaku siblings arrived. It was as if they were inside their secret bubble that even Hinata could not pop.

 _God, this is boring._

* * *

An uneasy Kankuro excused himself to all their Leaf City friends all of a sudden. Temari, took the chance and joined him. While in the cab, Temari's nosiness dominated her senses but her older brother warned her first.

"I know you wanna know about my girlfriend but t's none of your business." He was looking out at the cab's right, rear window.

"I'm not asking you right now anyway." She snarled back at him.

"I'll be leaving with mom and dad tomorrow and return later that evening."

"Not my business." Temari condescended.

"By the way, what do you want for your birthday?" He asked with a glint of concern.

"I don't care about your gift; it's none of my business." Mental games are her thing and Kankuro always losses against her.

"Fine, I get it. What do you want to know?"

"You don't have girlfriends Kankuro. Only fuckbuddies. What's this B-S about having a girlfriend?"

"Hey, I'm not as bad as you're making me sound like. And it is true that I have a girlfriend."

"Yes you are that bad." It was her chance to give him a scolding. Whoever this quote-and-quote girlfriend Kankuro had, there was a hundred percent chance that he's not taking things seriously. She even personally knew some of these heartbroken girls and it worries her that their emotions were trashed by her flighty brother. "Does she know you're treating her as your girlfriend?"

"Duh?"

"It's answerable by yes or no."

"Yes, and so?"

"Gaara told me that you fucked with someone in the Land of Rivers."

"Fucking Gaara!" He laughed. "What am I supposed to do? One of our partner company's representative was seducing me."

"You slept with a colleague?!"

"No. I slept with some university student I met that night to clear my head."

"You're fucking unbelievable. I can't believe I have a sex maniac for a brother."

"You are too. I can't believe that my only sister is platonic."

"I'm not platonic. Unlike you, I don't just screw with all the people I meet."

"We have needs. I just act on it. I can't imagine how _you_ can tolerate it."

"When will you bring your girlfriend over?"

"Where to?"

"To meet us!"

"Too early."

When the brunette saw the grin forming on her face, he wanted to open the taxi's door, roll himself in the highway and get crushed by a ten ton truck. His sister had an evil plan and she led him on so it would turn things to her favor. Seeing him suffer was probably her primary source of gratification.

* * *

A/N: Thank you guys for all the follows! Now, I'm pumped and good to write some more!

It's my third update but I realized that there's still no scene where Temari is doing actual performances except during her quiet time in her apartment. More music related scenes will be contained in the next chapters (Clue: chapters starting 'Preproduction') and I will do my best to make them _very, very detailed._

Next update will be late this week!


	4. The Artist's Rig

**The Artist's Rig**

 _They must have boarded their planes by this time._

Her anger should have dissipated right now since it has been hours. The face to face encounter with her father did not end up nicely. Reasoning against him didn't work. Temari hardly argued if she's having a one on one talk with him. In such situations, her mind devotes its energy into keeping herself from having a nervous breakdown. Shielding herself against his abusive lectures and psychological attacks was something she did not want to undergo through anymore. That was his worst side. If she will be in her most honest self, that was the only thing that she abhors about her father because it is the very thing that destroyed a large portion of her life; her relationship with him and her self-esteem. There was no screaming though. Screaming and shouting is neither her nor the lord of mental torture's style.

She volunteered to drive them back at the airport but her mother stopped her from doing so. As if relieved from hell, Temari thanked God and bade goodbye to them. She was almost alright until she noticed that her mother's eyes didn't have the familiar sympathy it usually had after a lecture from the patriarch. It made her heart sank lower; even her mother was not on her side.

As her apartment's door closed, blood pumped concentrated on her chest. She wasn't sure what she was feeling but it was painful. The sensation was similar to having the nerves of your body taken out. Temari tried finding the word. It wasn't numbness or emptiness. Something much worse stemming from the feeling of neglect.

Apathy.

She wanted to shout, smash things, and hurt herself to check if she's still functioning but the strength and courage needed was not enough. There was not much left in the apathetic Temari. Not even the void could be a reason for her to succumb to it.

Temari never backed down from a fight. Especially if it was proving her worth.

These issues of her made her cling unto music as if it was life. As a result, she locked herself in her tiny studio room for the remainder of the day. The secondary bedroom was quite small. Using it as a bedroom, even for a child, would be suffocating. The best bed you could fit into it is a double bed for an average sized person and you won't have any space for walking. But the artist took the unit precisely because of the room because its dimensions matched Temari's image of a studio. As soon as she transferred in the Leaf, she had acoustic boards installed on its walls and ceilings and furnished soundproof carpet. She wasn't much for decorating. There were no crazy drawings or logos, just plain boards enclosing the musician whenever she retreats to her sacred space. She breathed in the unique scent the room had which is a mix of electronics, wood, plastic and metal. Words could not paint it well but a musician can spot it. The redolence was a milder version of how a music shop would smell.

On the far corner of the room, two of her three guitars were resting on the guitar rack. She accidentally left her cheap acoustic guitar back in the studio the last time she was there. Not that she cared much about it. She bought so she can play freely wherever she is. Both of her electric guitars though, were treated with much higher degree of reverence. Her first guitar was a gift from Granny Chiyo when she turned fourteen. It was a Fender Telecaster 1972 Custom with a sunburst finish.

Since she started playing in bands during her high school years, that Telecaster accompanied her. She was quite content with the sound until she had heard monsters shredding on Les Pauls, Ibanez-es and Deans. Obviously, her pride as a guitarist was diminished to the lowest of ants but it went away as soon as she got comfortable with her skin. She did not invest much in her rig until she started playing regularly when she entered college.

In a span of two years, she bought three guitars.

The first one is a Gibson Explorer which she repainted to with the help of Kankuro and Matsuri. But it got ran over by a driving, drunk metalhead. She did not bother running after the guy because the damn dude scared her. He weighed more than Gaara and Kankuro combined.

After that misfortune, she bought another Gibson, this time, a Gibson SG in cherry finish. It was the standard issue but in one gig in a shabby area of the Sand City, a kleptomaniac stole the guitar. Temari freaked out in the venue but the robber already fled with it. She only had it for two months and it was stolen.

To assuage her frustration stemming from her loss, she bought the less costly Yamaha Pacifica in dark blue. Seymour Duncan pickups replaced the existing ones and it made the unpopular axe sound like a beast. It was a much cheaper deal than getting another Gibson.

As of date, the Pacifica is still in stock condition but she did not bring it along to the Leaf City because Kakashi told her that the label would spend money on her equipment, including branded guitars.

As promised, she was taken to a music shop on her second day in the city. Temari was tempted to take another Gibson SG but the sight of one triggers her bad case of being a theft victim. The scars were still too fresh. The only other Gibson model available was the Les Paul. She love Les Pauls but they were too heavy and she has a personal grudge against all the skilled guitarists who mocked her for being a mediocre guitarist. Before she wanted to put off any plans of buying another guitar, she saw a Wilshire in deep red color. It looked gruff, robust yet it had enough softness in it. The pickups where P-90s which sounded pretty great on Orange amps. It was an Epiphone 1962 Wilshire USA Reissue. It did not take her long for her to decide which guitar she'll be taking home. Now it is sitting in the precincts of her personal studio.

She took the Wilshire, plugged it in her Orange Crush Pro 60 Watts and started off with The Clash. Her favorite from the punk rock icon is their cover of 'I Fought the Law'. It was a basic song but very snappy. She played the lead guitar while singing the chorus wildly but she stopped halfway.

The burst of inspiration took her 'apathetic' self to another world. Temari's physical body reached for the pen and scribbled words. After finishing four complete stanzas, she checked the syllabic pattern. A bit irregular compared to her previous works but she knew it's a risk worth taking. She started strumming chords while humming the poem that unlocked the cage harboring her apathy.

While singing, Temari a tear streaming down her face. There were flat and sharp notes, wrong timing and bad breathing but in her mind, she had painted the perfect melody to sing her current predicament. The song radiated the agony Temari was facing…

 **The fear of FAILING.**

She doesn't want to fail her parents, her brothers, her employer, her friends, and most of all, Temari herself. However, they had conflicting wants and it is pushing her to her wit's end. When she had finalized 'Crack Bottle', the artist slept on the woolly, carpet surface of her serene studio.

* * *

A/N: Finally done with the introduction arc! The action i.e. actual performances and interactions with you-know-who shall happen but not so soon. I realized that this arc ended up longer than it is supposed to so I cut out some parts for this chapter. I hope you guys would still read on. Thanks for visiting/reading! :)


	5. Preproduction

**Preproduction**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the words of the songs to be included in this chapter.

* * *

Guren called up Temari for the fourth time on Wednesday morning. The first call was expected; the other three were not. Her strict manager reminded Temari of her schedule for the day and highlighted her major appointments for the rest of the week.

"Make sure to drop by the studio later at three in the afternoon. Aoba had finished mixing the rest of the tracks. He would give you a CD copy of the finalized demos once you get there."

Temari let out a silent gasp. She was dying to hear the samples of the finished seven tracks. Recording demos for the remaining five songs would take a while as it will tracked in one go. As of date, she has nailed two out the painful last five songs. Gai has been particularly strict on song quality as she approached her twelve song mark. Kakashi had explained to her that most likely, her record producer is doing that to outbest her recent progress. As a matter of fact, Temari knows that she has been giving it her all. The pressure in making her better than the current Temari is driving her nuts. She thought earlier that if they listen to 'Tears' and 'Crack Bottle', they would be composed. Including the two newly written tracks, she had eleven songs approved. All she needs is one more track and the team would be out of the preproduction phase.

Her organized, retentive and strict all-around manager spoke well. She paused when she's done saying one thing and before she says another. After mentioning Aoba, Guren paused for a while before continuing. "After that, you still have a rehearsal with Kamatari."

"Check." Temari stared blankly at the ceiling while laying on her back against the couch.

"Tomorrow 9AM, that is the 26th, I will fetch you in your apartment at six in the morning and we'll head straight to McKenzie Studios for your first live studio performance. We've had hundreds of bar shows, TV appearances, festivals, and concerts but never a studio performance. As a result, the internet is on a hype. I confirmed with their management that it will be on live streaming via YouTube. There will be no second takes. Don't screw this up. I trust you well enough that you'll deliver anyway. I just want to give you some sort of peptalk. An interview is expected to happen after the set but it won't take very long since Kimimaro of the Sound Five will be there. Any questions?"

"Who will be Jun's replacement?" Temari's backing band, credited as Kamatari, is usually a three-piece band featuring a drummer, bassist and a guitarist. Jun has been the mainstay guitarist since its inception and he never had any short-notice absences. In Temari's opinion, he's too good to be a musician in a backing band. Him leaving Kamatari was something she already anticipated months ago.

"Don't worry. I got Shira to play in Jun's place." Guren replied.

"At least we're in good hands."

Shira, a Sand City native, is also part of Kamatari's pool of musicians. He is the usual rhythm guitarist during larger shows where Temari would opt not to play the guitar for the whole set. The last she saw of him was during their set in the 14th Loud Music Festival last May.

"Then on Friday, Captio Consultancy representatives will meet you for a pitch on an offer for a brand ambassadorship."

"I told them that I won't endorse motorcycles. My father and brother are connected with KHI." Temari had already disclosed her family history with Guren. Only the good parts — who her father is, who her mother is, who her older brother is and who her younger brother is… on paper.

"It's a different company this time, Tem." As part of her quirks, Guren never calls Sabaku Temari 'Temari' because that is what the artist is called on-screen. As a professional, she looks at the artist as somebody she takes care of. Akin to a student-teacher relationship. "Are you aware of the brand 'Reza'?"

"Yes. They make those fancy leather clothes." Temari began staring at the unlit ceiling. She could hear screaming from Gaara's gore video game in almost inaudible volume.

"They are launching a continental promotional campaign for their Fall Collection and guess what?"

"'Coz I'm the current fad, they're considering me."

"Half-right." The artist's manager paused. "Several musicians, actors, artists and models were selected to represent Reza for this campaign. However, the brand has little presence in the Wind Country. So, to support this wide-scale campaign, the company decided to have a specialized marketing for the Wind Country. That's where you fall right in the equation."

"I haven't said yes. Why are they so sure?"

"It looks like they did their research." Guren took a momentary break. "They have word about your connection with KHI's CEO and looks like they are planning to exploit it."

"Impossible."

"Don't worry, I'll investigate it. For the meantime, prepare yourself for later. I'll send the email thread to you ASAP."

"Check." fiddled with the TV remote control. "Bye."

She verbally sighed. A few days of vacation and now, her schedule is back to its cramped form. Her last rehearsal with Kamatari sounded too perfect. The only criticism she could think of was that it sounded almost robotic.

"What do you expect from a dummy band?" She asked herself.

The band has been a withstanding Catch-22 between Temari and the label. An unrecognized yet talented band will force a lot of internal issues on the fronting artist and the band members. That was exactly what was happening between her and Jun.

* * *

Temari entered Studio C of Roadhouse Recording Studios at exactly three in the afternoon but she did not expect a weeping Maito Gai and Aoba pacifying him. The moment her extravagant and expressive producer saw her, he lunged forward to embrace her.

"TEMARI! ACCEPT MY YOUTHFUL EMBRACE OF CREATIVE APPRECIATION!" Gai howled a-la Bruce Lee.

A scream came out of her. As much as she want to avoid his gesture, there were no blind spots. Temari accepted her looming fate until somebody came in the same entrance and the door hit Gai on the head.

The funky producer lost his balance nut regained his energy in a split second. Still weepy, Gai leered at his self-proclaimed lifetime rival. "Who dares to intercept my expression of appreciation?!"

"Yo." Still completely relaxed, Kakashi was surprisingly, early. "Did I miss something?" He looked at Temari.

"I'm just as confused as you." Afterwards, she quickly whispered. "Thanks."

Confused at her sudden gratitude, Temari pointed at Gai to help him understand.

"Ah." Kakashi realized that Gai was doing his usual antics. "What's up Gai?"

"You stopped me from expressing my love for the songs!"

"He likes it that much, Aoba?" Kakashi queried at the sole witness.

"Yes he likes them but he keeps on moping about finding the lead single." The sound engineer handed a plain CD to the A&R. "Your copy."

Kakashi took the CD from Aoba. "Thanks. By the way, these are seven of the approved nine tracks, right?"

"Yes." Aoba answered. "The other five songs shall be recorded in one go."

"What's your progress for the remaining three tracks, Temari?"

"I've made some songs." She did not want them to expect too much. Surprising them take precedence over her album's completion. "I can play some on Monday."

"Very well. By the way, do you have any business with us?" Her A&R is famous for being no-nonsense and efficient in spite of being penultimately lazy.

"None as of the moment." She answered.

"You're dismissed for today. I still need to talk to Gai and Aoba about some production details."

"Sure. I'm off then." Temari waved at her colleagues and shut the door.

In the next studio down the hallway, Studio D, she had seen a few techs setting up Izumo's drum kit. Unlike most drummers, he was not gear heavy. He had a Ludwig set consisting of one snare, three toms, one bass drum in stock condition, a double-pedal, and a Sabian cymbal set consisting of a hi-hat, two rides and one crash. But what Izumo was particular about is the tuning of his kit. The drum tech was not part of their team's road, therefore, he won't meet Izumo's demands.

Temari wanted to stop the guy, but if Izumo were to see him working hard, he won't bother with it at all. After all, he's the most lenient studio musician she had the pleasure of working with. Kotetsu is almost similar to his longtime friend, but he can be a bit absent-minded. Forgetting to bring extra bass picks or his strap locks is something that happened too often. Thus, Izumo makes sure Kotetsu is always prepared.

Before meeting with her producer, A&R and sound engineer, Temari already had deposited her Wilshire in Studio D. She had the Orange Cabinet Type Amplifier transferred from Studio C for the rehearsal. Come to think of it, among all guitar players in the roster of artists in Shinobi Records, only Temari uses Orange Amps. Perhaps it is due the obvious influence of British musicians on her.

She took out her guitar from its hard case from the floor and began tuning it using a clip-on tuner attached on its head. While squatting, she turned each know with ease. Her strings did not loosen or tighten much relative to the last time she used the red electric guitar. She stood up and walked towards her amplifier. Before plugging in the jack in her electric guitar, she turned down all the volume knobs. Afterwards, the artist slowly increased the volume to her liking. She only had three effect pedals. A Boss Metalcore Distortion is her usual pedal for most songs. For her cleaner tones, she either uses an MXR Carbon Copy for analog delay or TC Electronic Vortex for flanging. For reverb, she uses her amp head's control for it.

Shira arrived first and turned ecstatic upon seeing Temari. They exchange a few stories. Among the session artists, Shira was the most hardworking. He was not as skilled as Jun on the six-stringed instrument but he works hard and it pays much more than talent. He rarely landed spots in recordings or live performances due to his relative mediocrity. That was part of the reason why she insisted on including him in Kamatari instead of another seasoned guitarist; because she identified with his struggle.

After their short conversation, Kotetsu, Izumo, and Guren arrived. As usual, Temari's manager wore a black skirt suit, and black heels. She joined the sound technicians in the control booth. The four musicians spoke a few lines related to their practice. Aware that Guren was very strict, they avoided small talk at all costs.

"Temari, Kamatari, you can start playing the setlist. In order."

Izumo played the four-beat drum cue. After the fourth tick, a drumroll started the song. After four bars, the lead guitar, the rhythm guitar and bass played the notes of a punk anthem.

' _Breakin' rocks in the hot sun.'_ Temari sung in the same octave and British accent as Joe Strummer had but in the next line, she belted it out with her raspy voice.

' _I fought the law and the law won._ ' And resumed to the normal pitch for the next line.

' _I needed money 'cause I had none_ '

 _'I fought the law and the law won.'_ She continued to sing in the higher octave for every 'I fought the law and the law won' line.

The performance was clean, in the sense that the notes were hit right, the timing was perfect and everything else fell in place but the rawness and rebelliousness showed in Temari's vocal. To keep her style, Kakashi only had her trained in terms of breathing. Temari's vocal development from there became self-exploratory and she was grateful for that. Her style was not compromised and she improved her vocal prowess.

For the short interlude, it was Temari who played the guitar solo. She has a handful of guitar skills but not as versatile as any lead guitar player would. Bluesy solos were not her thing. Fast punk, power chord riffs though, are her cup of tea.

'I Fought The Law' is Temari's favorite from The Clash. That was the very first song she heard from the band when she accidentally chanced upon it on MTV. Gaara had a contest and her parents had to accompany him while Kankuro sneaked out to play video games with some neighbors. It was a common situation for her. An empty house except for the nine-year old Temari. Seeing the freedom that the band espoused, Temari's innocent eyes were awed. From that point of her life, she became obsessed with the 70s punk subculture. She bought all albums of The Clash. While exploring the band, she found out about The Sex Pistols and Patti Smith. Punk rock became the air she breathed. As she aged, she became interested in The Cure, Joy Division and other new wave acts but punk still came first in her list.

For the outro, Temari had used guttural, tight-throat screams as the song heightened to its end. There was some pain in her throat but it made her so good. As if a huge weight was removed from her shoulders.

As the feedback from the guitars and the echoes of the cymbals weakened, Temari gradually opened her teal eyes and focused on her tiny pedalboard.

"That was tight guys." Guren announced through the PA system. "Doesn't sound too much like The Clash anymore. Credits to the screaming towards the end. Good job Kamatari." She always addressed the group as Kamatari and not as Temari which she was quite grateful of. "Why don't we hear some of Suede and The Pretenders?"

"Finally!" Shira commented.

Temari looked at the excited guitarist. "Aren't you eager?"

"Well, those songs are cool to play and I am excited to hear you singing them for the first time." He replied while fixing his guitar strap. "I have always believed that you only sung punk stuff."

"Come on guys, not all the songs I write are a hundred percent punk."

They continued to play 'The Beautiful Ones' by Suede and followed by 'Brass in Pocket' by The Pretenders. From their usual punk repertoire, performing Britpop and new wave in a livestream performance is cathartic. Temari felt relieved from the events of her disastrous birthday. For a moment, she forgot how her father's chastising words had slammed her down on the floor.

In the second chorus an involuntary smile was the artist's main expression for the remainder of the song. Kamatari's take on 'The Beautiful Ones' had no synths. All melodies were performed by Shira and Kotetsu on their respective instruments or sung by Izumo. Kakashi, who does not espouse back-up vocals for any Temari "to limit distractions from her unique voice", did not entertain the idea until the group was having almost daily performances. Guren lashed out at the most stress-free A&R she had the pleasure (or displeasure) of working with when Temari could not belt too well because of sinusitis. As a result, Izumo now sings backup vocals.

Right after finishing their cover of Suede's timeless song, the band immediately played their next song: 'Brass in Pocket'. It was a song that meant a lot to Temari. Her mother loved it and she had admitted that it was her favorite song to sing in the karaoke. The same song was the very first song she learned how to sing. Whenever she plays the classic, it was as if she watching her life backwards.

All her worries ceased to plague her for the momentary pause created by music.

* * *

A/N:

Thanks for reading!

The fictional brand 'Reza' is the Japanese word for leather.

I hope I did justice for this band rehearsal.

Comments are warmly accepted.


	6. Track 1 - Prelude

**Track 1 – Prelude**

Because before their conversation could take on a deeper topic, Sakura was excused by the man of her dreams and Temari was caught up in a matchmaking charade, they had to meet the soonest. There were a lot of things to talk about; mostly catching up on Temari's part since she was literally in the dark except bits of her life related to her public career. The artist though, was feeling guilty towards the medical student because she was left at a high note. As a result, Temari agreed to meet on Wednesday evening even though she has a performance the following morning.

Right after a fulfilling rehearsal with Kamatari, Temari headed to a cozy café located in the outskirts of the city… away from prying eyes. She got off at seven o'clock. Whenever she steps on the brake, she keeps on checking if Sakura texted her but have not received any.

Temari parked right in front of 'Coffee and Tea'. She took out her wallet from her bag resting on the backseat. Before going out of her vehicle, Temari checked if the envelop she got from Guren was tucked safely in her dashboard.

The place was empty except for a table located in farthest corner of the tiny café where Sakura was reading her study materials. The Sabaku walked towards the attractive pink-haired girl facing the wall.

"I'm sorry I got caught up in traffic."

"No worries Temari, I just got here myself."

"Have you taken something?"

"Not yet. But I placed our orders. They'll be serving any moment now." Sakura closed the thick book and cleared out the papers the filled the desk. "I was not expecting you to leave so soon last time."

" _You_ took a while."

The striking girl in a red sweater blushed. "Sasuke and I didn't take long. We were called by Naruto to join them. It was just on the other side of the bar. Chouji joined us too."

"They did not invite me or the rest of the guys on our table." Temari remembered how Tenten stole the gourmand.

"Anyway," a sly grin was on Sakura's face, "it's very rude to give a girl a clear hint of a development and leave her hanging."

"Sorry. Fine… I guess I owe it to you this time."

Temari eyed the spinach soup and oriental salad that were being laid in front of her. Her stomach grumbled but her appetite subsided when she caught a glimpse of Sakura's light green eyes. "I'll bite something first before I tell you everything."

"It's obvious that you need it." Sakura said. "Eat up first. I have all night."

Temari poured the vinaigrette quickly and dabbed all the sizeable leaves she can poke in a second. She gulped a glass of water and resumed. "As I told you last time, Shino asked me out again."

"When was this 'again', if you don't mind?"

"A couple of weeks ago."

"Did you go out with him since then?"

"No. I lied about having a lot of work… Scratch that; I do have a lot of work. The time off I got during my birthday was simply giving me more time to work at home instead of forcing it out in the studio. Not to mention, I had to babysit my brothers. He called me up last night and asked me if I'm free over the weekend."

"Hey wait, the two of you didn't talk to each other last time."

"Were you referring to last Sunday? Both Shino and I avoid loose lips."

"Yes… there's Ino, Kiba, Lee, Naruto. Actually, most of us are, except Sasuke and Neji."

"Sadly, Sai gave Ino a hint about it and she dragged it out of my sealed mouth."

"She won't blab it carelessly. The girl knows the nature of your job. Even if word about it comes out within our circle, it won't go out. How did Sai know anyway?"

"Maybe Shino told him in passing. Or Kiba. Most likely it's Kiba. He knows about my history with Shino. So, it's more plausible to believe that Kiba informed Sai. About Ino, I trust her more than that blunt whack-o."

"Sai's not that bad. You must have done something to piss him off." Sakura laughed at her jeer. She began nibbling one of the green tea cookies that Temari was dying to have after she finishes her salad. "That aside, you like him, don't you?"

"Well, he matches up to my type of guy. You can say that I like him."

"I haven't heard about that."

"Which one?"

"Your type. I wanna hear it."

"Come on. It's nothing special."

"We have differences in tastes Temari. I wanna know what's yours."

"Fine… I guess I'm usually attracted to tall guys who are at least presentable. In terms of personality, I guess I've always imagined myself dating an artsy kinf of renaissance man. Well, I don't want to pay for his food for goodness sakes. He should be capable of taking responsibility of things."

"Ooh. Sounds like somebody who can deal with Temari." Sakura took another cookie. "Damn these cookies are great."

"They are."

While chewing, Sakura continued. "Shino is tall and attractive. He's artsy — let's not get started with his band, and studies Entomology in one of the top universities. He's pretty responsible. I'm quite sure that he won't leech off of you. That's all checks Temari, what's holding you back?"

"I've dated him twice before and I don't see why it didn't click then. If it should work then something should have happened to us back then."

"Hey, there's the distance thing. Do you think that if you lived in the same city, the same thing would have happened?"

"I think… there's a huge chance that something else might have…"

"Precisely. Both of you were caught in bad circumstances. There were no next dates because you had no chance of having them in the first place. Come on, you and Shino are from different countries and were still dependent on your parents that time. If you guys were both immature puppy-lovers, then both of you would still be moping over how star-crossed lovers are doomed but you are still friends even after all this time. If I were you, I'll give him another chance. You're simply getting worked up for nothing."

"I agree with everything you say, Sakura…I've thought about in the same line of reasoning but I think the fire is out."

"You're not the kind of person who'd use metaphors like fire to show that your feelings are not the same as before. Tell me what's wrong."

She sighed. "Kankuro has girlfriend of six months and it's a long-distance relationship."

Sakura's mouth dropped. "Kankuro has a girlfriend of six months and it's a long-distance relationship?!"

"That's what's bothering me. My brother's fickle and I can't imagine him being smitten."

"He's smitten?!"

"Damn right. You must have seen him and his girl when I had brunch with the rest of my family during my birthday." Temari drank water to sooth the sticky sensation forming in her throat because of the cookie.

"What if Shino is…gosh I don't know how to put it into words…" She paused to clear her head. "I don't want to invest myself in something that's not serious. If he was sure about me since day one, we must have had some sort of arrangement in the first place. What if I'm ust a fling? Some girl he can hang out with to pass some of his time?"

"Any dating couple _is a fling_ until you go steady. Knowing your brother, he's the kind of guy who goes for the things that he wants. He must have seen something in his current girlfriend to make him commit. Shino isn't exactly like that, he's much more…careful—"

"Withdrawn, cautious."

"Cautious is more spot-on—all the more you should trust him. An introverted guy pursuing a girl is a risk for this person and we're talking about Shino. He doesn't even talk to anyone and now he's asking you out for the third time. The way I look at it, he could have forced himself on you because you're familiar with each other but he didn't. I think that proves that he's serious about you. If he's not, then he won't ask you out again."

"You're quite persuasive. I wish you could persuade Sasuke like how you usually coax me into things."

While trying to act stern, the blush gave her away. Temari laughed at her sudden change in color. "This and that are two different things!"

"You're red."

"I am NOT! Anyway, did Shino say his plans this weekend?"

"Nope. Why did Sasuke steal you last Sunday?"

"Ah! Well, he was seeking some advice for his brother's allergic conjunctivitis."

"You're not an ophthalmology major."

"I still know a thing or two about eyes. Anyway, he first asked me if I had dinner and then I told him I ate a sandwich before going to the bar. I don't want him thinking that I'm a gluttonous pig like Ino. Yeah, his brother really has sensitive eyes. Since he had inherited it from their father, there's a huge chance that Sasuke inherited it. So, I subtly gave him that I was worried about his well-being and all—"

"Sakura."

"—Sasuke might have noticed that I did it on purpose because I care about him—"

"Sakura."

"—but he's really good at hiding his feelings. Damn it, how do I know what he's thinking?! He never says anything to anybody. Not even to Naruto. Maybe he talks about these things with his more sensible friends… like Neji? Maybe I should ask Neji, right Temari?"

"That's a better idea."

"I think so too—"

"Sakura."

"But that damn Ino gets her way to Neji through Shikamaru!" The pink-haired lady crushed the tissue she was holding.

"Sakura."

"Ino should D-I-E!"

"Ah! Sasuke just passed by!"

"HUH?!" She snapped out of her rage and looked around. "Where? Behind me?"

"You really like Sasuke." Temari smirked.

Upon realizing that Temari did it to stop herself from romantically narrating her short conversation with the popular, tremendously good-looking second son of a Senator. "Temari you cheat!"

"A word about Ino. I got confirmation from her that she's into Sai. That clears the list of rivals in your circle of friends."

Sakura blinked at her. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. The girl may have all sorts of crushes on all these guys but she told Kankuro and had suggested to me last time that the guy she's interested in romantically is Sai."

"What?! Sai? That Sai?"

"Yes…"

"How come she didn't tell me?"

"Because you're tight with the guy."

"And she told you?"

"She didn't directly tell me. She told Kankuro because they had this little plot last time."

"Temari! That has bothered me for months! But how come that pig didn't tell me?! I can't thank you enough for that."

"Come on. You've done more to help me. Think of it as part of my gratitude for hearing my woes." Temari, who was looking forward to her third cookie was mystified when her hand was only feeling the plate.

Temari ordered one box of green tea cookies and gave it Sakura. She was tempted to take one herself but she was reminded that cookies have dairy in it, therefore it is generally bad for her to eat them in large amounts.

Her contemplations about the green tea cookie was instantaneously forgotten when they began talking about things that Temari would do on an ordinary day.


	7. Track 2 - It Ain't No Town For Young Men

**Track 2 – It Ain't No Town For Young Men**

"That performance of Temari and Kamatari defined the word amazing!" Earning a compliment from Suigetsu Hozuki, one of the most famous Disc Jockeys of the decade, is worth more than any unheard of music critique's written review. Being called amazing can send a new artist flying around the room. Temari felt jumpy but the peripheral vision of the rolling cameras reminded her of the bitter fact that she's on-air.

"It's so wonderful to see you Temari. Alongside with Kamatari, Temari played an exciting set of classics from Punk Heroes, The Clash, alternarockers Suede and a soul-soothing take on Brass in Pocket. They closed it with 'Opal' — the unexpected heatseaker that grazed the charts of two countries since the end of last year. It might be a while since some or most of you have heard them play live but the Punk Goddess hasn't lost her touch yet. The same rawness and power is still there presented in a different light. For their first time in performing covers, I'll give a 6 out of 5 stars for this dazzling performance."

Temari was not supposed to say anything yet since Suigetsu had not dropped a question for her but silence made her feel off. A montage of mainstream rock songs played to keep the listeners and viewers absorbed. The artist felt grateful that there was music playing.

"Some of you might have noticed but we have Temari and Kamatari right here with us in the studio to entertain us with a short yet quirky interview." Suigetsu faced Temari who was on the opposite side of the glass panel, together with Shira, Izumo and Kotetsu. "Hello Temari!"

"Hi there Suigetsu."

"Thank you for dropping by." Every word he said in his thick British accent, emphasized vowel enunciation, and perky intonation gave it much more depth. Listening to the renowned DJ speak sounded like a narrator in an art-house film.

"No, the pleasure is ours." Temari said involuntarily. It sounded a bit too formal for someone of her image.

"By the way before we continue, can you introduce Kamatari to our viewers? With that performance earlier, I'm sure they have earned some followers of their own."

"Damn right sir." His transition was smooth. She asked him to give some light to Kamatari and McKenzie Studios, a rock radio station, was the perfect avenue for that. They were talented enough to be given credit, she thought, and she's making sure that they got it. Her intentions was driven by her conscience and her fear of losing skilled colleagues. "Kamatari has Izumo on drums, Kotetsu on bass and Shira on guitar. Shout out to our bandmates who are not around today, Jun and Seiya who plays the guitar and keyboards respectively."

"Kotetsu, hands down, you're the best punk bassist I've ever seen."

The group laughed.

"—let me rephrase that." Suigetsu chuckled. "You are the best bassist I've seen in a punk band. No offense to other punk guys there, well to everybody who's listening to me; I diss people a lot but I'm a pretty nice guy."

Temari laughed at his honest remark.

Suigetsu continued. "Anyway, the stereotypical punk bassist is Sid Vicious who is too stylish and cool to actually know how to hit the notes and he became a legend because of that and I'm not dissing him for that because he's one of my heroes. But damn, Kotetsu you're good on the four-stringer. There were a few tweets who were praising you especially on 'Opal'. Well, they praising everybody individually. Izumo on his cool timing and stick throwing. And look! Shira earned himself quite a number of fangirls." All of these he said in a flash.

Kotetsu and Izumo hooted at the shy guitarist.

"Anyway, I've been rambling here. People tuning in would be, of course, delighted to hear from Punk's Muse, Temari. When our team was soliciting questions from our friends in the internet, there threw a lot of basic questions. When I checked your Wikipedia page, your website, your official social media accounts, you barely have anything on it. So, I'll be asking a candid question on behalf of all the curious people. Who are you?"

Temari laughed at his delivery. Sounding like an HR from a company, it was as if she needs to lay down all her cards right in front of him. Temari wanted to keep her personal life as private as possible to avoid anybody digging that she's related to the CEO of KHI. "My real name is Temari. Currently twenty one years old. I was born in Sand City and raised there. I have two brothers - one is older and the other one, younger. I have some units in International Studies but I stopped taking classes to pursue music. What else do you want to know Suigetsu?"

"Did you hear that folks, she has two brothers? Nobody knows about that. And you studied International Studies? I mean that's something smart people study. No offense there, but you seem like the perfect archetype for an Arts student."

"Not really. I'm not very good at fine arts. Writing is alright but Creative Writing is something that you learn through practice and not in theory. The same applies with the type of music I am into; it's something you could refer to as instinctive so I was not keen on the idea of studying performance music after high school."

"No way." The blue-haired DJ said in disbelief.

"But I did consider studying music production."

"Why did you not do so?"

"My older brother scared me out of it. He said that all sound engineers he knew were a cross between a programmer, a critique and an audiologist and I don't necessarily fall near any of these three. "

"Ingenuity must run in your family. This brother of yours must also have some background in music."

The DJ took the bait. In this interview, Temari needed to do a publicity stunt. She has to casually disclose that her brothers have stints in the music scene. "Actually he did. This brother of mine used to be in The Puppet Brigade."

"The Puppet Brigade? Are we on the page of Sasori's first band?" Now, the lively radio icon was intrigued by her revelation.

"Yes, he was one of the third wave members." Temari elaborated. "If I remember it correctly, his epithet was 'The Black Crow'."

"In TPB, the black guy is the one playing keyboards. Damn, your brother is a keyboard player who filled in Sasori's void. How cool is that!"

"In terms of technical skill both my brothers are way ahead of me but…" She almost said 'they also happened to be better at other things compared to me'. Hiding her almost accidental slip-up, Temari cleared her throat. "Sorry. I was saying both my brothers are great technically so I think they are more inclined to explore their roots rather than delve into contemporary music."

"Don't tell me your other brother is in Akatsuki!"

"No. He's much more defined in his hobbies. To this day, he is still performing classical pieces for an orchestra occasionally." Temari looked over at Guren who standing outside the studio. The manager was perfectly composed which meant that she's satisfied with how things went. In Temari's opinion, the conversation was smooth and natural.

"Listen folks, Temari has two mystery brothers. One is 'The Black Crow' of The Puppet Brigade and the other is a violin player in an orchestra. This is too much revelation for one day but we still have time to keep on going. Down to my next main question."

Temari flinched at the bright camera flash. Assuming that it might be an unintentional photo one of the crew took, she didn't thought much about it until Guren went in the room.

The interview continued with Suigetsu retelling Temari's history as an artist. His next query was stated after he had recounted her journey from way back when she was a teen who had ten bands until becoming the 'Punk Goddess'. "—finally, my question is: what's your next project?"

Word about her first album is already out. Saying something about it won't jeopardize their PR strategy. But Guren didn't explicitly state that she should talk about the album for this interview and DJ Suigetsu is one of the most followed non-musicians in the music industry. Temari warned herself to be careful. "It would definitely be _musical_."

The DJ gagged. "Of course Temari would still be pursuing music-related ventures in the near future." He was looking forward to hearing a ground-breaking revelation from the secretive, Sand City native. However, she returned to her usual, cryptic self.

"The third question is: what's your favorite color?"

"Lilac."

"Not black?"

"Black is like something I was born with. If I can choose a color, it must be definitely lilac. I won't necessarily wear it though. I love the color but I'm not keen on the idea of wearing such a light shade of violet."

"Some fans attempted to guess that your favorite color is purple."

"Cheers to them! That was so close."

"We still have time for two more…Winter in Sand City or Summer in Leaf City?"

"This is a tough one but I'm biased to choose Winter in Sand City."

"Too bad folks we have arrived to our last question for the Punk Goddess. If you have a chance to resurrect a musician and relive his or her life, who would you choose and why?"

"Oh… Gimme time." She made a few verbal pauses. "Can I choose a fictional one?"

"Sorry love. No can do."

"Then I shall go with Bethoveen because I would be enlightened if I get to understand how deep his love for music was in spite of being deaf."

"I wish all musicians would think like you Temari! Your choice shows that you wanna be him to have a deeper musical encounter." He waved at one of the tech-go-to-guys of the house. "Before we end guys, we shall be doing a McKenzie style trivia for today's guest. A McKenzie Trivia is a trivia about our guest that is related to whatever she draws out from the box of doom."

Temari froze. That box contained all sorts of crazy words like 'saliva', 'gallbladder', 'jungle', 'ecstasy', 'Yoyo', 'Kublai Khan', and other vocabulary chosen at random. If she could get something basic like a potato, she'll treat herself to a spa right there and then.

"Temari, will you do the honors of drawing a sheet of paper from the box of doom."

"This makes me quite nervous." She commented. Her hand slid into the black box that is shaped like a tiny monster.

"People, Temari is now drawing from the box of doom. As of the moment, she took out a sheet of paper."

She slowly unfolded the paper once, twice and thrice. The words were inverted. She rotated the paper and cringed when she saw it.

 _CHESS._

"Honestly I have no idea how this word ended up in the box." She flashed Suigetsu the paper.

"Chess? As in the game? Hoho. Now Temari, do you have anything to share about 'Chess'?"

Various images of her nemesis boggled inside her head. To recover, she pictured Guren screaming "You're at your fucking job blondie!" It helped her focus but Temari's faux calm demeanor was losing its poise.

She didn't want to appear like a ranting young adult before her audience but she didn't want to sound boring. In the first place, it's not her fault that she drew such a lame word. If it were somebody else, they would have said "Fuck it! I don't know a thing or two about this aristocratic board game!" But Temari played it cool. She doesn't hate the game; only her loss against a certain someone... whom she fought not to remember.

Her mind formulated the most unsuspecting statement she could create in a millisecond. "Actually I play chess... And it's safe to say that I'm pretty good at it."

"So Temari, the face of Kamatari, is an avid chess player." Suigetsu gave a thumbs up to the band, which was his signal for them to return to the performance studio for their encore.

"That's it for today! We heard Temari and Kamatari perform three covers and Opal in a live studio performance for the first time. I know all of our dear listeners, Temari fans or any other music fan would be delighted to hear these songs. You may check out our YouTube Channel, McKenzie Studios, to watch Temari. Don't forget to click subscribe. Before we have our commercial break, Temari and Kamatari shall perform one last song for us."

It took a few meetings before they nailed their rearrangement for 'Gouge Away' by the Pixies. Not a huge alternative rock fan herself, 'Gouge Away' was one of the few songs from the movement that made it to her favorites. Black Francis's vocal pitch was something Temari found tricky to work with. Singing in the same pitch was uncomfortable as it is below her tessitura while one octave up was too high for her. The band decided to play three steps higher but Izumo commented that it felt draggish to play it in the same tempo. As a result, they changed up the rhythm section to sound more punk and increased the songs speed for a few meters. It sounded right technically but Temari felt something was off. She changed up the phrasing of the verses and added emphasis on the last lines of the verses. Turns out that the missing link for Kamatari's arrangement of 'Gouge Away' is artistic expression.

* * *

"Everybody did a terrific job. Expect rave reviews for today's set." Guren paused. "I'll be letting everyone off for the rest of the day except for Temari."

"Miss Guren. Temari doesn't have anything else to do today. Why are you so being stiff with our frontman?" Kotetsu pronounced.

"I need to speak with Temari about her appointments tomorrow." Guren replied flatly. "Tell us where you guys are heading and we will follow."

"I knew that she's an angel." The bassist told Izumo.

The ten-seater vehicle drove them out of the Entertainment District of Leaf City. Red Crystal Crew, Temari's current management company, was located in one of the high-rise buildings by the area in between the Business and Entertainment Districts. Paparazzi has not spotted that place yet which made regular visits easy.

They dropped the rest of the band by the building entrance before entering the multi-level, basement parking of QRS Tower I. From there on, it was routine: the pair would enter the restricted third elevator and press the button labeled '43'. That way, nobody would see Temari by accident.

Protecting an artist's privacy is one of Red Crystal Crew's selling points and Temari needed that. She pays them a hefty amount of money compared to other reputable artist management companies in spite of her heavy heart in doing so but it was part of her obligation as a CEO's daughter. Before she left for Konoha, her father made her sign a Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement to serve as her protection whenever word about her lineage becomes broadcasted. Temari did not say anything about the contract she made with her family. All her manager needed to know was that she does not want anything about her family or her connection to them made public.

Thus, if it comes out, Temari would know who to run after. Eighty employees is much easier to investigate than the whole internet.

Guren led her to one of the conference rooms in Red Crystal Crew's office. An absent-minded Temari heard the artist manager that she would be back in a minute. She could not think of what Guren needed to talk about. Last evening, Temari read all the documents given by Captio Consultancy and reviewed their email correspondence with Guren. There was nothing special to it. Endorsing apparel did not need closed door meetings with your manager who has given you the materials a day before. More so, it was Temari. She's intelligent and would not be fooled by company representatives or their consultants.

The meeting Guren suddenly called is not needed, she thought. For this reason, Temari was uneasy.

Guren returned with a laptop. She sat across Temari, as if waiting for her to speak.

"You're not talking." Temari said.

"Have you noticed anything?" Guren responded.

"Yes. This meeting about tomorrow's appointment is a phony. Tell me why we're here."

It was obvious that Guren stopped herself from saying anything. Perhaps she was carefully crafting her next sentence. "Last night, one of our staff discovered that some tapes from your preproduction sessions were leaked through a torrent site. It was posted at 11 PM in the same day. He flagged it down immediately." Pause. "Our analytics team tracked the users who have downloaded them and are trying to contact these individuals as of the moment."

She turned speechless. If she was expecting a breach on her, it was easier to accept it if it was related to her family. But it was her songs; her blood, sweat, and life. Not only hers, but also everybody who has been working with her since day one. A concoction of rage, hurt and disgust emanated from her. But she could see Guren's calm conduct; she tried to keep everything else covered by the lid.

"Did they get ahold of a copy of these songs? I can identify when they were recorded so I can at least, identify who's with me Roadhouse by that time."

Guren started working on her computer. "Just a sec, I'll have them bring it here." She paused while typing on an IM or email program. After pressing the 'Enter' key heavily, Guren resumed. "By the way, I hid this from the band because it does not concern them and we have to limit this to a few people."

"I understand. So what are we gonna do if some paparazzi guy finds out about the leak?"

"Assuming the worst, you may have to take out the leaked songs out of your album."

"We can't. We're almost done with preproduction."

"Nobody would buy an album with songs they have heard before. I'm sorry."

She rolled her eyes out of habit. Feeling a bit tight from the black and white houndstooth patterned jacket, Temari removed it, revealing a red tube midriff and a dog tag chain. "Whoever that guy is, he's taking ages to give us copies of that tape."

"He's burning it on a CD."

"Doesn't he have a flash drive?"

"We discourage the use of flash drives in the office for protection."

"Yeah right." Temari said sarcastically. "Office computers stores an employee's CD burning history."

"Protection from viruses, Tem, not necessarily the artist. He's writing it on CD so it won't be sent via email anymore."

"Don't tell me those guys don't have their firewall on."

"In case we get hacked, at least there won't be any trace." Guren replied patiently. "Calm down, we can still mitigate this."

"If I can write songs as fast as I make pancakes." The artist uttered to herself.

A scampering person could be heard through the walls. In that instance, Guren and Temari knew that a copy of this tape or these tapes was at hand. He abruptly knocked and Guren headed to the door without keeping it widely open. The manager inserted the CD in the 17-inch Toshiba portable computer's CD drive.

"Tem, do you prefer listening it on speaker or on earphones?"

"Earphones if you don't mind." Temari replied. She went over where Guren was and plugged in the earphones that is a stable item in her everyday messenger bag.

She played the CD and a recording she recognized in a few seconds. It was the first version of the track 'It Ain't No Town for Young Men'. The demo was made last February and the song can be barely recognized in its current structure. She wanted to laugh at whoever thought of leaking the demo. Whatever his agenda was, he failed miserably at it.

The first version sounded like a Stray Cats track gone wrong. The lyrics describes a gunfight involving a first time bar entrant and the rest of the regulars, an allusion to Temari's recent obsession of Western films. She changed up the lyrics since it sounded too poetic and transformed it in first person perspective. This resulted to changing the chord arrangement from the key of D-minor to A-minor. From there, the album version surfaced.

Temari stopped the music player and removed the phones from her ears. "Guren, this thing is old. It barely sounds like the current version of the song. The notepad file here says 'The Shootout' and it's not called that anymore. Also, these are several takes of the same song. I guess it won't hurt our plans that much."

"That's good to hear."

"By the way, is this everything?" Temari asked to make sure.

"According to the staff, yes."

A sense of relief filled her but her mind wandered. That tape was old and stuffed in the backroom of Studio C in Roadhouse Recording Studios. Nobody had used that studio for even the adjoining Studio D except herself. The only people she knows who can come in and out of there are her, the pool of musicians for Kamatari, Kakashi, Guren, Aoba and the rest of the tech and engineer guys. Unless there were others who have entered that studio with the resolve to spread unreleased demos to tarnish everything she had been working hard for.

Temari's head was filled with questions during the afternoon drinks she had with the boys. She conversed, laughed, drank, ate, and jeered with them but her thoughts were all about the stolen recordings. Whatever the motive was, Temari could not imagine _how_ someone would do such a thing...

 _I hope I'm not overthinking this mess again..._

The artist arrived in the bar and immersed in the gathering she rarely has the permission to enjoy with the band she's not part of.

* * *

A/N: Important plot elements are included here and the next chapter. Btw, you-know-who shall appear in the next update. It took a while for it to happen, but I needed the build-up for that.

Updating schedule for this fic will happen once a week on either Friday or Saturday. Also, I'll be posting short, filler chapters that are relevant to the plot when I'm busied by uni stuff and work stuff.

Don't forget to follow/fave/review! :)


	8. Track 3 - I Do Hate This Kind of Feeling

**Track 3 – I Do Hate This Kind of Feeling**

Disclaimer: I have textbook knowledge of marketing.

* * *

A group of four, smartly dressed officers were waiting by F Tower's podium. All their eyes followed the red Lexus sedan Guren prefers for formal meetings. Temari herself didn't sport her usual rock and roll fashion for the meeting even if her status allowed her to do so.

Picking out an outfit that morning became a stressful when Temari realized that most of her business clothing were in Suna. She could not even find a skirt or pants suit in her dresser. To avoid tiring herself out, she wore a tight, black, sleeveless dress and looked for something akin to a blazer. She saw a plaid red and black trench coat she only used once for a planned appearance. By some turn of event, the press did not spot her. Wearing it for the meeting won't cause people to criticize her repetition of outfit. The outerwear is expected to go well with the dress but it bothered her that it was not corporate enough. A pair of black pumps would save her not-so appropriate outfit but the closest she could find in her shoe rack are black stilettos.

One of the men opened the right rear door. Guren came out first, followed by Temari. Usually, they would have a lawyer with them but Temari wanted to have at least meeting before signing anything. She wanted to decide things at her own pace and it was usually fast; she avoided dawdles and wanted everything to the point.

The team shook hands with both of them but there were no introductions. A slim, average-height, blonde girl with frameless glasses with perfect circled lenses led them to the elevator. Temari did not bother to look which floor they were heading to. Guren did not say a word either. When the shaft opened, the same girl took the lead and began talking while walking alongside the artist and her manager.

"Good morning Miss Temari and Miss Guren. I am Shiho of Reza Apparel's Marketing Unit. The men with me are Shin, Shen, and Shun*. Reza Apparel Incorporated is a mid-size company established a little over two years ago. Our staff is still small in number, totaling fifty eight heads as of date, but our operations have improved vastly since then. Because of this, management decided to hire Consultants to over-see our very first international campaign. Today, the Project Manager from Captio Consultancy will be joining us to discuss with Miss Temari this project's terms."

"I see." Guren replied. "I've been wondering why you had hired consultants for the initial meeting. It turns out that you have outsourced the project completely."

"Yes." While clasping the folder tighter, she confirmed. "Actually, it may sound like a bad idea but a lot of start-ups are doing that for the quality."

"But we have checked that Reza earned millions last accounting year." The artist's manager commented. "Actually, one of the things that has been bothering me is why you are bringing in a general business consulting group for a promotional campaign. I do hope you understand that this is something I cannot talk about right in front of them." Guren stopped walking.

"I do understand your reservations, Miss Guren." Shiho looked down and fixed her glasses with her free hand. "But Reza needed support from an international company for this campaign since we have not set foot outside of the Fire Country. Captio Consultancy has provided us with a team that will help us make the campaign successful. Rest assured that it would not be a joint project between two companies, but rather, a project with Reza at the head and Captio as the body."

"What do you think, Tem?"

"I'll make my decision after meeting with both Reza and Captio Consultancy in one room."

Shiho smiled at her.

"By the way Shiho, if we accept the project, who would we be working with exactly?" Guren asked without looking at the jumpy marketing officer.

"During the production of promotional materials, it would be Reza's Marketing Unit. For the actual campaign in the Wind Country, it would be Captio Consultancy's team together with a few from our marketing staff who would be working with Miss Temari."

Guren shifted the topic to the origins of Reza to avoid defeating the purpose of the gathering. The meeting room was a bit far from the elevator. In passing, Shiho apologized that the nearest elevator is currently on maintenance.

The marketing officer of Reza led them to a room with tinted glass. There were three people inside, waiting for them. Temari's first impression was that they carried themselves too well. A tanned brunette with a kind face spoke with the woman on right who was poised. She had black wavy hair, pale skin and round, red eyes. The artist thought she was quite attractive even at a distance and was looking forward to meeting her. The remaining consultant was obscured by the back of his chair.

Shion knocked twice before entering the room. "Good morning people. Miss Temari and Miss Guren have arrived."

The lady and the tanned man looked at the group and scanned for Temari with welcoming eyes. Shiho pointed at her to guide them. Seeing a public figure in person could be either overwhelming or underwhelming for most. For the pair, they were mostly overwhelmed since she looks real in person. The other man, as he turned around in the officer chair revealed a profile of a head having a straight tall nose, olive skin, bony facial structure, and tied-up black hair. His head was resting on his long, left arm while his other similarly gangly arm dangled on the arm rest. He was the only one who successfully locked his eyes on Temari without looking at anybody else. Even as he spun the seat, he identified her much faster than his colleagues.

Temari saw him but she looked away. Turning her head to Shiho as she asked Guren about the team from Captio was the least obvious maneuver to take. Though that only consumed a second or two in actual time. She had no choice but to look at the people seated on the table.

It was as if the man knew _who_ he was looking for...

The fact is, he _knew_ her perfectly.

She knew him too and that gave her a reason to look away.

Shiho may be spouting nonsense but all Temari wanted is a diversion. Her brain has stopped functioning when she felt his penetrating gaze calling her. She returned the man's uninvited act of scanning. Nara Shikamaru's brown looked squarely at hers. For Temari, time slowly passed by and the smile on his face formed gradually. She didn't know what he was driving at. His subtle smirk disappeared as he stood up. By that time, she was walking towards the table automatically since Shiho, Guren, Shin, Shen and Shun were doing so.

"Miss Temari, this is Nara Shikamaru, Strategic Management Consultant of Captio Consultancy." The Marketing Officer said while concealing her wooziness.

"Nice to meet you _Miss Temari_." He offered his hand.

She responded to his handshake warmly. "Likewise, _Mister Nara_."

"You can call me Shikamaru. My colleagues are Iruka and Kurenai."

"Hi Miss Temari." Iruka also shook her hand. "I'll be handling the legal aspects of the project. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too Iruka."

Kurenai did the same. "I'm Kurenai Yuhi. I am the Project Manager for the campaign. My expertise is in Marketing. I'm looking forward to working with you."

"Same here." Temari responded.

After the round of introductions, the meeting was started by Shiho by welcoming everyone and giving the usual pitch a marketing person would use to a prospective client or partner discussing the company's history. Normally, Temari would cut her off if she was in her right mind.

Before she could stop Shiho, Guren did the honors of playing the bad man. "Excuse me Shiho, you have sent all the materials to us beforehand. There's no need to give us the overview or whatever you call it." She paused. "I think it would be more convenient for both parties if we get down to business."

"Right." Iruka said as if he was expecting that Shiho would be cut off by Temari's entourage. "As requested by Ms. Guren before, we'd be discussing the marketing side first before the financial aspect."

It was Kurenai who discussed to the group that Temari shall be the 'Punk' Persona of the campaign in general. The photo shoot and video recording sessions would begin as soon as the artist signs the contract. However, as the potential Brand Ambassador of Reza to the Wind Country, Temari shall attend press conferences and other promotional activities. At the same time, the consultant group had suggested utilizing a wide-scale multichannel marketing strategy simultaneously launched in the Wind Country's three major cities. Reza will also be a sponsoring a promotional tour consisting of four stops.

Guren had told Temari that her itinerary until December is not hectic. Preproduction is coming to a close, but soon they will be recording properly for the album. The production of the materials would have to be finalized earlier, she stated. The manager also pointed out that the campaign can boost her image since Reza is considered as a revival of the seventies counterculture fashion. Although the marketing consultant was quite convincing, Temari had some questions about some of the promotional propositions.

"What will I do during a press conference?" Temari enquired when Kurenai had asked for questions.

"Reza's CEO wants you to be the spokesperson." The raven-haired lady answered.

"I would have to refuse on that." Temari breathed before continuing. She thought she sounded too bitchy for saying what she had verbalized in that manner. "I am not yet the brand ambassador and assuming that I will be one, I would have been one only for a short while. I think that move would damage both mine and Reza's image. People would think 'how come that singer is suddenly endorsing a clothing company? Is she broke or did she ran out of ideas?' As for your company, they'd assume that you're trying too hard because you decided to wage a huge marketing campaign using a budding singer as your biggest stake." She made up an excuse. There's no way she'll show her face in front of Wind Country dignitaries who have known her face since her infancy. It was one of the worst places to have her last name disclosed publicly where reporters are at their most diligent selves.

The whole room looked at the artist. But it was only her adversary who had the courage to respond to her confident opinions. When Temari saw his mouth forming a word, her mind prepared itself for its defense.

But the next four words Shikamaru said was unexpected. "She has a point." He said, which sounded much like him. His lazy nature hinted that he could be compromising. "Although the strategy Captio prepared is essential for an effective product introduction."

"I'm fine anything else but you have to convince me to take part in press conference." Temari flagged to challenge him. "Otherwise, I don't see any point in doing that."

"Kurenai, I think you have a say in this matter?" Shikamaru told his colleague.

"Actually, we already took that into consideration during the strategy formulation." She said to Shikamaru.

"I see." His eyes moved sideways, meeting Temari's intent gaze. "Pardon my ignorance. I was a last minute replacement for Kasumi." The statement was everyone to know but Temari knew he was saying it to her. There was no need for her to respond directly at him but she gave him another look before focusing on Kurenai.

"Miss Temari, we can make changes in how the press conference would proceed but, as Shikamaru had said, it is necessary to have you appear at least in one. It is not written on the documents Shiho and I have sent you, but Reza has quite a following in the Wind Country." Kurenai said. "To make the entry more fluid, we need to execute everything in the plan or getting you as Reza's face would be for naught."

"The strategies we have decided to go with are tried and tested." Shiho added. "We can't risk doing an unconventional marketing style because it might cause financial losses on us. Management has decided to go with the least precarious path and this is what the Captio team has thought of."

"Some brand ambassadors are announced through social media and the internet." Temari refuted. "That's also one way to cut down costs."

An obscure movement similar to a quick laugh could be noticed on Shikamaru's face. Temari was sure that he was aware that what she had said just for the sake of saying it.

"A formal press conference is the best avenue to announce that you will be the first brand ambassador to represent Reza. Any other mode would be unfitting on the company's end." Shikamaru summarized everything that Kurenai and Shiho wanted to say in two sentences. Both of marketing professionals fell silent.

Before the quiet could grow more awkward, the artist manager resumed the dialogue. "So, basically the first step to everything else is having a press conference to announce Temari as your brand ambassador." Guren stated. "We would the venue to be secured. I have discussed this previously with Iruka before but Temari's contract required high-level security in any public appearances."

"Of course Ms. Guren." Kurenai said. "We will review that aspect of the strategy ASAP. Kindly tell us if you have any other concerns with Reza's expectations from Miss Temari."

Guren looked at Temari who was already thinking along the lines of 'how can I stop them from inviting my father's associates?' Aware of the gesture, the artist shook her head and smile. "I don't have any for the rest."

"Wonderful." Kurenai smiled at her.

"Does this mean that Miss Temari will work with Reza?" Iruka asked Guren.

"Yes." Guren answered.

* * *

Temari wanted to decline the offer for lunch but Guren insisted that they should stay. She had overheard that the marketing team of Reza found her too domineering.

"I don't want them thinking that you're an arrogant bitch." Her manager argued.

"Sometimes I am one. That's better than being labelled as stupid." Temari washed her bare face with warm water. The ladies room was empty and it was the perfect place to be lectured by Guren.

"But you are not an arrogant bitch and you're certainly not stupid either. My concern is that it's bad PR for you to be described as that even before the project starts. You don't know how grapevine information can kill anybody's reputation."

"Please enlighten me."

"You'll be working with several production houses for this campaign."

"Who cares?"

"All the employees of Red Crystal Crew, your A&R, and your band does."

"Being described as an 'arrogant bitch' is _not_ as bad as being called as something degrading like... a 'slut' or 'untalented'."

"Darling that's not the point. I want you to have good working relations with Reza, Captio and all the other companies you'll encounter in this campaign. Besides, they promised that they'll be paying us well. It won't kill you to give an impression that you're nice."

If Nara Shikamaru was not there, Temari would be more than willing to oblige but he was _right there._ A few minutes ago, he was in the same room as her. Seeing him in such circumstance was like a sick joke and she was just reminded of him yesterday because of the 'CHESS' McKenzie Style Trivia.

They were to dine in one of the building's function rooms secured with two ushers by the door who would prevent anybody from entering accidentally. The lunch's setting was part of Guren's doing and Temari realized how grateful she was for it. For that lunching hour, Temari gave herself the license to rebuff Shikamaru if he initiates a conversation.

She saw how visually appealing the food was but dreaded that was in buffet style serving. Her instincts guided her to the salad section and Shikamaru was already there. Her avoidance would be too obvious to him and to everybody else if she suddenly takes a sharp turn.

"What are you doing here?" As much as she would like to have a chess match with him, she doesn't want encountering anybody she knows personally while working. If anybody finds out that she knows him, then people would do anything to extract what he knows about her no matter how petty his information about her is.

"Getting salad." Shikamaru answered. "There's another pair of salad tongs." He pointed it to her.

"Thank you." She said sardonically.

"I'm just curious, what's your last name? We need it for the contract signing." He perfectly is aware that she is Sabaku Temari. "Your manager—""

"Her name is Guren."

"Okay then. Guren never seemed to mention it."

"It's Tatsumaki**. Tatsumaki Temari."

"Tatsumaki Temari." Shikamaru said. "Sounds _more like_ you."

"It _is_." She added. "Can you move a bit? I wanna get some vinaigrette."

"Go on." Shikamaru moved away from the salad station. "I swear I didn't know about this project until a couple of days ago."

"Yeah, the joke's on me this time. It was a good one." Temari reacted. "How did you end up here anyway?"

"Kasumi, well, the one I replaced, is on bed rest. She's one of the main marketing consultants in our company and our heads didn't want to mess this project so they sent —"

"You?" She smirked. "How can you fill in her shoes if she's supposed to be a senior consultant? Are they idiots?"

"What a drag…" He voiced. It has been a while since Temari hear him saying his catchphrase. "I was about to say they sent a Strategic Consultant on her behalf."

The pair followed the queue that formed. Temari took servings of the steamed which she didn't bother asking what kind, carrot soup, beef stroganoff and rice. The lazy consultant seemed to place every dish that was being offered.

While heading to the dining area, Temari continued. "They should have sent somebody with a broader background."

"My thoughts exactly but it's so tiring to raise the idea to my boss."

"So you accepted it just like that?" She scoffed. "Pathetic."

"C…" He suddenly stopped talking as if he was about to say something that can irk her. It happened several times whenever they encountered each other and he was are that Temari knew that he is cornered. "Never mind."

"Typical."

"What?" He asked her to clarify what she was referring to as 'typical'.

"'Typical' as in the typical Shikamaru who doesn't make an effort on anything except slacking off and complaining." Her eyes looked around the three, circular, dining tables. What she saw made her bite the insides of her cheeks. There was only one table with vacant seats. Two vacant seats right beside each other. She made her way there, attempting to leave the languid man she was tortured to be in the company of for the past minute or less.

The table, unlike the other three which can seat at least ten people, could only accommodate five people. She abhorred the person who thought about inviting all of Reza's employees for a post-meeting meal. They did not even do anything _for_ the meeting and now, they're the ones having the time of their lives. Some are even attempting to steal photos of her but some marshalls were very strict on implementing Guren's rulebook.

Guren's bag was on one of the chairs of the smallest table. The two other seats were occupied by one of Shiho's lackeys and Kurenai. Silently cursing the world was the only thing Temari can do while placing her plate on the table.

"I'll be taking this seat if you won't mind." She almost regretted how arrogant she sounded to her future colleagues but apologizing to any of them would make her feel more disconcerted than she already was.

The marketing person from Reza smiled nervously at the personality three feet away from him. Temari thought she must have been flagged as somebody who is not 'human'. Kurenai was much warmer. She responded "Go on" when Temari was too busy thinking about her meal. The woman in her early thirties looked a lot more attractive up close. Her black big waves, deep red eyes and blood red painted lips, and red nail polish on her fingernails contrasted her pale skin, giving a look of a classic Asian painting.

"And I will take the only remaining seat because I don't have much of a choice anyway." Shikamaru spoke to himself. But it came out louder. Thus, attracting the attention of his colleague.

Kurenai was amused by his statement. She blinked at him. The dark man looked back at her with a sour look on his face.

"What did you say?"

"That wasn't mean to come out." He answered back.

Temari remained awfully silent during the rest of the meal while the rest of them spoke about the upcoming project with enthusiasm. Guren was still nowhere in sight even after finishing her food. She excused herself and pretended to look for her missing manager.

But as she left the room, the Nara purposefully followed her even out of the function room. The way he had stood up was clumsy and unsightly. That way, Temari thought, he will attract some extra attention to himself.

Not a single warm body was in sight except for one security person by the entrance. Temari continued to walk as far as the corridor could lead them away from the banquet.

She stopped when she had reached the elevator they used earlier. She turned to face the man who had been following her. "What do you want?"

He was avoiding her eyes. His sharp outfit looked sloppy then unlike when they were having a meeting. He carried his dark blazer on his right shoulder and loosened his black tie. If Temari caught any of her brothers wearing a suit in the same way as the 'epitome of sloth', she'll torture them until they learned how to properly use one.

"I asked you a question." Temari growled at him.

He grumbled to himself before responding. Nara Shikamaru, as lazy as always, said one word. "I need answers."

* * *

The only smoking area in the vicinity for outsiders of the building is the pond area located on its right. It was not the perfect place to hangout for Temari due to the number of onlookers but she's grateful that nobody is from the press.

They sat on one of the many benches surrounding the pond, both them seating at the edges. The view was not quite scenic but the sight of the pond, the busy walking of office workers and the light midday traffic was much more entertaining that a closed room full of chattering strangers.

Shikamaru lit a cigarette before anything else. She rarely saw him smoke. He claimed that he was not dependent on it but rather did it for socialization. It was one thing that she disliked about him.

"Nobody would hear us here." She told him. "You can start talking."

He exhaled some smoke from his mouth. "Guren mentioned that your personal life is hidden from the public eye."

"Correct."

"So everything about your last name and your family is a secret."

"That's one way to put it."

"That's why you told me that you are using _Tatsumaki_ as your surname."

"Precisely."

"I asked you just to be sure Temari. Everything Guren said earlier in the room about discretion of your personal life from the public and our records didn't add up. Since I know you personally, I think I am obliged to tell you that in Captio's papers you're being referred to as Sabaku Temari."

"Fuck." She told herself. "Who else knows besides the four of you?" Teal eyes glanced at her left only to be met by his side profile.

"Well… Other than us, that would have to be our direct boss, his boss, and the boss after him."

 _Damn… Guren's info was really true._ For the second time that day, Temari bit her inner cheeks. "Does Reza know about this?"

"I know these Reza guys as long as you do. Based on _our_ records, they don't know a thing about it. You are simply being referred by them as Temari in their documents so it is safe to assume that they don't know about your lineage for now."

"Unless they changed that details in all the documents they shared with you." Temari countered.

"That's one possibility. But there's no evidence to push that idea right now. Which leaves my employer as the suspicious one."

"Including your subsidiaries or affiliates."

"Those too—"

"Do you have any?"

"I'm not a hundred percent sure about all of them but I know of Captio Investments and Captio Technological Solutions… which are both totally irrelevant… unless you have some sort of private investments with Captio Investments."

"My personal portfolio is directly traded by Gaara and I, so you can cross Captio Investments out." Temari sighed. "I guess I should discuss this to my manager."

"Why her? Shouldn't you talk to your label? They're the ones paying you."

"Why not? The label only cares about my record sales and a mere fraction of that is influenced by my current image. Actually, they don't mind if the world would know that I am Sabaku Rasa's kid because it could help spread word about me. In my honest opinion, they're out of it. This is not covered in my contract with them and that's why I hired Red Crystal to manage my affairs so things _like this don't_ come out. But now, it did and the best decision is to ask Guren about it."

Shikamaru chuckled.

"Did you just laugh?" She asked him while suppressing hers. Temari was pretending to be mad. She is disappointed by how the events have turned out but his unexpected laugh was infectious. There wasn't anything she found funny in her most recent dialogue.

"Damn…" He scratched the back his head above where the pony tail was as he exhaled heavily.

"Blurt it."

"It's nothing." His head drooped forward.

"WHAT IS IT?!" In a split second she was a few inches away from him. The charge made Shikamaru stand up as a flight response.

"Geez… it's nothing." He threw the remaining stick on the ground and stepped on it before returning to his seat.

"Mister Genius, I know you have thought of _a lot_ of things like the fact that I've signed my recording contract under my real name. Of course, you guys have pretty skilled researchers. They must have found out that I am signed as Sabaku Temari in Shinobi Records. Or maybe they found something in Suna. A number of people know that I'm the daughter of my father. That gives you two possible sources. "

"I did thought of those but not as exact as how you have put it since I am not aware of the details of your contracts. By the way, is this the first time something like this happened to you?"

She remembered the case of the stolen recording demos the day before but it wasn't something that was directed to divulge her secrets but rather, a deliberate attack on her. She pouted on impulse while thinking about yesterday's bad news.

"Based on your expression, this is not the first one." Shikamaru slouched over, resting both of his arms on his legs. "Your management team is not doing their job too well."

"Not all the talents they manage are protected one hundred percent of the time. On average, their artists had at least one to a few messy press fiascos or internet posts but nothing as bad as a headlining scandal. This is the first breach I had, to answer your question properly."

"With your permission, I w-can find out how Captio got that info about you and _try_ coaxing them into using Tatsumaki instead."

"Doing that would is the same as us availing of your services. How much do you want?"

"I'm doing this as your friend." Shikamaru sighed.

"We're not exactly friends."

He sighed again. "Acquaintances then. I'm doing this because you're an acquaintance who happens to be the sister of my friend."

"That sounds much more accurate." She nodded to make fun of him. She could see that he was mentally saying 'What a drag' because she didn't vocally acknowledge that they were friends. "If you want to do me a favor, don't get yourself mixed up in this."

Shikamaru chuckled again before lighting up another cigarette. He was the kind of person who didn't dab into small talk. As a passive one, he could have been the perfect company for Temari if she was less aggressive every time she opens her mouth. On the other hand, if Shikamaru had more enthusiasm for life, he would have annoyed Temari less. They exhaust each other's energy whenever they deal with each other and both of them were aware of that fact. Realizing that Shikamaru was done with his purpose, Temari excused herself and returned to Reza's office.

* * *

A/N:

*Extras. it's obvious they're just random people but they needed names. But there's a huge chance that one, some or all of them to appear in the next chapters.

**Tatsumaki – Japanese for tornado

About Guren - for those who are curious, she's not an OC but a real character in the Naruto franchise.


	9. Unexpected

**Unexpected**

"That went better than expected." Iruka said when the vehicle came to a stop.

"It did." Kurenai, who was seated with Shikamaru in the back seat of Iruka's personal vehicle, was as elated as the lawyer. "Temari did not talk much but she carries herself well like a professional...unlike most celebs."

"I agree!" Iruka looked at his companions. "I found that really cool. I never imagined her to be that suave and refined since she's a rock musician. I'm not being judgmental or somethi—"

"Attorney, the light's green." Shikamaru, who has been detached since he had regrouped with his colleagues, said his first words to them after a long while.

"—God save me! Us!" He stepped on the gas and continued his sentence. "Where was I?"

"Dunno." Kurenai was typing something on her phone.

Shikamaru breathed heavily and slouched even lower against the backseat. "About you being judgmental or something."

"You're unexpectedly attentive today. Isn't _this_ the best time to doze off during work?" Kurenai emphasized that Nara Shikamaru always napped whenever he is in a vehicle.

"Yeah... like I was saying she gave this air of… regality." Iruka glanced at the rear-view mirror to look if his companions were still paying attention.

"I would have to agree on that. How about you Shikamaru?" Kurenai nudged his left side. "You followed her outside, didn't you?"

"That was a coincidence. I went outside for a smoke…"

"But I overheard that she was outside with you for a bit." The dark-haired marketing consultant was always observant and in that instance, Shikamaru began hating that trait of hers.

"I know her brother... who's a friend of a friend." He answered lazily. "But we don't really know each other that well."

"That doesn't explain anything." Iruka complained.

Kurenai giggled. "Yeah, it doesn't."

"I just asked her 'Are you…" He thought of a name that was not Gaara. The younger brother of Temari was a classic example of a person who would succeed in real life because he had all the necessary requirements of being good-looking, intelligent and affluent. At a young age, there was a chance that he's at least as well-known as the eldest Sabaku son* or as famous as the CEO father. "..Shukaku's sister? He mentioned it to me one time.' and she answered 'Yes.' The end. She went somewhere else while I remained by the pond...smoking"

"I would have made more of an effort for a chance like that!" The lawyer told the other two. "It was your time to get to know her better."

"What for? Everything's on her file." He asked while yawning.

"Not in that way Shikamaru…" It was the first time Kurenai sounded tired from talking. She glanced at him sideways with rounded eyes.

"What?!" The lethargic man's sluggish mood was replaced by total mental alertness. He could not quite read Kurenai that moment, blaming the fact that she was a woman and somebody who was much more mature than him.

"It's obvious that _that's not all_ that you talked about. There's definitely _something_ else…" Kurenai snapped back at him.

"I trust that _there is_ something because Kurenai noticed it." Iruka reinforced.

"How _do_ you know?" Shikamaru, now widely awake, thought of what Kurenai could be thinking.

"You were odd earlier. The only time you open your mouth is when you have something smart to say or if you're going to complain. During the meeting, you apologized. I thought maybe you were tired but you proved my assumption wrong. While we were having lunch you said something that is completely unexpected..."

"Oh?" Iruka looked over them again. "What was that?"

"He said 'and I will take the only remaining seat because I don't have much of a choice anyway' right after Temari took one of the two remaining seats in our table. What kind of Shikamaru would say something like that?"

"I was complaining Miss Kurenai."

"No you're not. It was a sarcastic complaint. It's completely out of character and it was because of Temari."

"I disagree with your second and third statements." Shikamaru sighed. It was too tiresome to argue with two of his senior colleagues. As a result, he closed his eyes and began to sleep. "Wake me up when we arrive in the office."

Both Kurenai and Iruka laughed.

"What's up?" Shikamaru just had to ask them. It would be the last thing he has to say before he would sleep through for the rest of the trip. He was dreading to know what made them laugh like that. Even though he had an uncanny ability of falling asleep anywhere at will, he couldn't do so at that very moment.

Pretending to sleep was his last resort... But his head was too active keep him still. His focus was directed at stopping himself from responding upon hearing either of their voices. Thus, he has to do two things: fake sleeping and stop talking.

Just when his plan was finally complete a second later, Iruka uttered words that will haunt him for the rest of the day.

"Our office is right around the corner, Mister Nara."

Shikamaru prayed to disappear on the face of the earth.

* * *

 **A/N:**

* - for this fic, Kankuro is the eldest.

I'll take this time to thank everyone who had favorited and followed 'Songs for the Sordid'. I enjoy writing this but you guys make it way more enjoyable. It feels great to know that what I wrote is being read and as a hobbyist writer, I deeply appreciated that.

Special thanks to...

 **Inuzuka-Shouko** \- I appreciate your reviews very much! Thank you so much for reviewing often! :3

 **Jay Leonardo** \- Thank you for reviewing even when I only had one Chapter posted.

I will be updating 'Track 1 - Prelude' because these ended up too bland for my taste. I will announce when this change had been reflected. I'll make sure that it won't affect the current storyline.

My next few months would be packed because of school and work. One of the subjects I'm taking is brain-heavy so I need to dedicate a lot of focus on it. I was also assigned to be part of a special project for in my job which won't end until July. I hope after that, I'll return to my normal workload. Because of these things, the next chapter would take a while before I can post it. Even so, I won't stop writing Songs for the Sordid. I may have written drafts for Chapters 10 and 11 but I don't want to rush because it's not quite there yet. I guess the chapter shall be posted during the third or fourth week of June once I get through this upcoming exam. Just in case the next full-length chapters are not yet ready, I'll post short chapters (or fillers), just like this one, that has some relevance to the storyline.

Thanks for reading! ;)


	10. Track 4 - Three

**Track** **4 – Three**

Le Konchu is slated to play fourth out of five bands. The main act for the sallow, Wednesday evening's gig was 'Yellow Kung-fu Jacket Thieves' — a group that Temari never heard before. According to Shino, they were big among college students and young adults because of their comedic lyrics about relatable things.

She did not expect a full house on a Wednesday evening in an invite-only venue. During her indie days, Temari never had a gig in a crowded, large venue in whatever band she was part of.

Shino did not join his band mates, Yakushi Kabuto and Inuzuka Hana, in the gloomy table behind theirs. Kiba, Hana's brother, accompanied Le Konchu for ninety-eight percent of their gigs because Hana was his sister and Shino was a long-time friend of his. Hana, who used to be known as a pleasant and friendly person, as described by Shino and Kiba, began to exhibit a much sentimental and dismal disposition. Her younger brother could only blame the newest member of the band whom Hana dated inspite of his idiosyncrasies. After weeks of dating him, Kiba's sister became moodier and more violent than before.

"It all started ever since she dated Number Three." Kiba mouthed at Temari as he concluded his story about how Hana started out as a hobbyist musician and ended up becoming an emotionally unstable and sensitive girlfriend of the trio's third singer and second keyboardist. "If I am their proper manager, roadie or whatever, I would have sacked the guy."

An audible 'humph' came from Shino which made Temari say a 'huh?' while laughing. It was only Kiba who took the matter of the suspicious bandmate added to Le Konchu's lineup four months ago of importance.

"Temari your boyfriend disagrees with my sentiments even though it is for _his_ band's well-being. I can't believe that it's actually you who understands me. Convince him for me, will you—"

"I don't see the point of using other people to voice out your opinions, Kiba. Why is that? Because it's only you who thinks that way."

Shino never showed his eyes and his lower face in public which Temari had the privilege of seeing last Sunday afternoon when it accidentally rained. He gave Temari his baggy jacket to keep her from getting soaked. When the rain continued to pour in the middle of the park, he had to remove his shades since he couldn't see anything. His emotive, dark gray eyes and unexpectedly smooth skin stunned her. She knew he was a looker but the suspense made it more surprising.

"Let's hear your side of things." Temari asked her boyfriend for two weeks.

"Kabuto singing style and playing suits our band. I think that is what is essential to keep a band going. Le Konchu did not have as many followers before he joined us. Your opinion is trivial Kiba. I think you're being oversensitive because of what has happened to your sister."

"Kiba, he has a point." Temari playfully, stuck her tongue out to him.

"Biased." He said.

"But…" Temari continued. "Kiba has a point too. If the band members' relationship among each other is having a sort of strain, I think it's high time to reevaluate things."

Shino looked at Kiba through his round, sunglasses. "He's not part of the band, Temari."

"I'm your unofficial booking agent, manager and everything else. Don't just belittle my role!" Kiba screamed at him.

"I'm fine with him and Hana is obviously fine with him. There's no point stirring things up Kiba." Shino gave Kiba his final say.

"You lost this time." Temari told the tanned brunette. "But I understand what you were talking about. I've been in countless bands Kiba so I know when one member won't last."

Kiba's eyes widened. Hopeful that Temari would give the same assumptions about Kabuto. "What do you think about Number Three?"

"I will give you my input _after_ their set."

What Temari appreciated most about Shino was that he did not drink or smoke. In spite of his quirky way speaking, verbal tics, and odd interests, he provided great company to Temari. She valued that their current relationship didn't require as much emotional intensity as most starting couples do. He understood that her job required her to work beyond normal hours and respected her for that.

 _What could I ask for? Sakura is right when she advised me to give him another shot._

The time for Le Konchu's turn to play arrived. The artist was looking forward to seeing them live again since the last time she watched them was over a year ago. Shino was the first to come up on stage with his Musicman Stringray with a red body and white plate strapped around him. He had the largest pedalboard amongst all the bassists for tonight's show. He was the most fastidious bassist Temari had seen in her entire life. He paid attention to every change in the level of phasing, modulation, delay, distortion and volume for his instrument. But it does not impair him during live shows. In fact, Shino can navigate through his pedalboard with ease like it is an extension of himself.

Kabuto's Korg Workstation was being set-up by the in-house sound engineer. He was nowhere in sight. So is Inuzuka Hana. That somewhat bothered Temari. The drummer should start setting up unless she doesn't care about her rig. After Shino had started performing scales, Hana came out with her cymbal set and snare drum which another tech carried for her. Kiba's sister set the whole kit up while Kabuto was still nowhere.

When the drummer and bassist of Le Konchu were prepared, it was only then when Kabuto appeared. The crowd reacted positively; Temari perfectly understood why Shino wanted to keep him on. He had a dark charisma similar to Uchiha Sasuke but much sadder. After Hana's drum cue, the band played their usual opener, 'Circuitry'.

Kiba, who continued to be sulky, remained seated on the table but Temari dragged him out of his chair and went by the foot of the stage.

He shouted because he could barely hear his conscience. "Why did you have to do that Temari?!"

"Because they're fucking good! Kabuto may be an asshole but he's a professional. Maybe he is currently dating Hana because he really likes her. His fucking music is awesome. Now, I agree with Shino. You're overreacting!" Temari also needed to scream back at him.

"But my sister changed!"

"Did you consider that it might be her fault?"

"I did… but if he didn't come around this would not happen!"

"Take this from a girl! It doesn't matter what kind of guy she dates! She'll react the same way, one way or another!"

"It's not like that! I dated girls and they don't turn depressed! Do you think this guy is her first boyfriend?!"

"Maybe it's just a phase?! An emo phase?!"

"Heck no! My sister is way too old for that!"

Temari enjoyed the rest of their performance. It has been a while since she was able to listen underground shows and felt a long forgotten catharsis that she had been longing. The sound of uncared amplifiers and third-rate sound systems emitted was the music she was used to hear and play. The processed notes she has been exposed to since she had left the scene, had gone paler as it had become what was normal for her. She thought that attending these gigs will keep her sane during her sour times.

The crowd showed avid appreciation for Le Konchu's set. Even Temari had loved it even if shoegaze, post-punk music would not make the cut for her day-to-day playlist. Shino had refused to attend the afterparty since he had classes in the morning. He wanted to accomplany Temari back to her unit, but she refused his offer since his unit was two blocks away from the venue while she lived in the other side of the district. Kiba promised that he'll look after Temari since he will be alienated by the pair of lovers he rued to have 'happened'.

Listening to Kiba during the cab ride earned him her sympathy. The last thing he needed to hear was her unsolicited counsel. Since Kiba was still in University and dependent on his mother, Temari took the initiative to pay for fare, including Kiba's way back. She did not expect Kankuro to be awake and keenly waiting for her when she had arrive around midnight. With a terrible frown on his face, he paced back and forth in her living room. As much as Temari wanted to spend some time with her elder brother, she is dreading his regular presence in her apartment for a week for his overdue vacation. His holiday was moved to the second week of September because of urgent matters in his job.

The brunette Sabaku gave her an earful because she was out at night but that was the least of her concerns. Both of them were exhausted from their lives. Lashing out at each other was one of their means of releasing accumulated anxiety. That common attribute of theirs can be traced from their paternal genes which Temari did not notice until she was in her late teens.

She went to bed earlier than Kankuro, who was still lecturing her about the role of women and whatnot. As the door of her room closed, her head replayed the moments she had shared with Aburame Shino.

Shino was not the first man she dated or boyfriend. He was not even the first musician she dated. Although, he would have to be the most peculiar. Most of her past lovers were either business or political science majors except for the one before Shino, who happened to be a fairly known hard rocker in Sand City. She got sick of how phony her previous involvements were and for this reason, she put off dating for a while. What she appreciated most about Shino was his eccentricity. He was true to himself without regard to anybody or anything else. He did his own thing, attesting that he is an authentic nonconformist.

Two weeks of dating the aspiring entomologist proved that he was an individual of his own and for that, the artist admired him deeply. He openly shared his quirks to Temari no matter absurd it would appear to other people. She appreciated by how open he was to her. There is not a boring moment whenever she's around him despite his aloof nature. She appreciated that he never makes demands.

Normal couples would dine together, see a movie or take a walk in the park. This couple, on the other hand, would be too queer to do any of these three activities. They would attend gigs and watch other bands play during the weekday. On their first two weekends, the pair had gone to an aeronautical museum and a private library ran by a monastery. An outsider might find these too old-fashioned or too geeky but Temari had not have so much fun in ages. Both of them had a love for solitude and this common attribute is keeping them together.

But she could help but compare her current relationship to Kankuro's. She saw how different her brother treated his inamorata among everybody else. With Shino, she could see any difference with how he treats her from how he treats Kiba. Temari shook her contemplations out of her head. Overthinking things in the unholy hour would keep her awake until sunrise. If she is on the same level as Kiba in Shino's life, it is something to celebrate about anyway.

* * *

Temari left for the studio right after having a noisy and argumentative breakfast with the freeloader in her apartment. Kankuro had been snappier than normal and Temari was also too occupied to bug him about it. Since Monday, the artist and her band had started recording for their second album. For the past three days though, all Temari did was watch how the rest of Kamatari's members recorded their parts. Watching Gai verbally motivate everyone through his words and presence kept her vigilant during the sessions even if Temari was simply a spectator for the time being.

Since it was Shira's first time to record for a studio album, he was the first one to reach his breaking point. Hearing comments for improvement every two seconds the record button is pushed will drive anybody mad. Although he doesn't know how to play a single instrument, the Green Beast would throw in ideas that no musician would understand. There's a chance though, if he was a musician himself. Gai does not know how to sing, play any instrument or write on a music score. He would relay his suggestions verbally which even Kakashi have a hard discerning. But through intuition, some people eventually comprehend him. Temari, at this stage, has fully adapted to his style.

For the first Thursday studio recording, Shira had another taste of the Green Beast's philosophy.

"Shira… you lack the power of... 'THE SUN'!" He told the guitarist during their first attempt to record.

"What do you mean boss?" The confused guitarist had to ask.

"Brightness, energy, vibrancy…." Gai did shameful poses which he thought were the coolest thing on earth. "Did you see that, great rival?"

Kakashi, who was reading an obscured book, barely had any comments except when he thinks the group is not going anywhere. Since Gai was there, the act of direction was there but the direction for the destination is too vague for the Temari and Kamatari to understand.

"What were you talking about?" The A&R peeked from behind the book he was holding.

Gai complained. "Too cool…" The hyperactive producer began stomping on the floor out of frustration.

"What did he say Shira?" The grayhead knew that he won't get anything out of the tight-bodysuit wearing music producer. Asking Shira was more plausible.

"His exact words were 'Shira you lack the power of the sun'. I did not get it." He said apologetically.

"Nobody gets what Gai says…" He paused to think. "There's a rapid drum and bass succession in the intro. What are you gonna do for that part?"

"During the first and second bars, I will just make some feedback on the guitar. I would only do a harmonizing riff once these two bars are repeated."

"Can you play that again for me please?"

Shira played the riff he came up with which Temari considered as her favorite intro among all the demos they had made and she doesn't see why neither Gai nor Kakashi was favoring it.

Temari had to explain. "Kakashi, it would sound well if I play the riff with the lead guitar."

"Is that so? Let's hear it then. When did you change it up?"

"Last Tuesday's jam."

"That was unsupervised." Kakashi looked at her.

"It was. But we played it for Gai yesterday and he liked it." Temari responded. "Do you want us to play together with the drum and bass track? That would help you guys realize the power of 'The Sun'."

One of the techs began setting up Temari's Wilshire inside the studio. Kakashi asked Gai about the change Temari and Kamatari did for Crack Bottle which the latter had explained that how they played it during the rehearsal sounded a lot better because of the 'dirt'. The A&R argued that for the sake of production, recordings should be 'cleaner' which Gai disagreed to.

"Should we play?" Temari mouthed through the glass.

Both men gave their approval. On cue, Aoba played the backing track which Temari heard perfectly well in the audio technical headphones.

The two guitarists played the riffs in tandem with the drum and bass. Temari's mix of power chords and single notes beefed up the harmonized riff Shira did. The final output sounded post-hardcore even though Temari only wanted to have a heavier sound for the intro and the guitar solo. Kakashi signaled for them to stop.

"Great. Let's continue where we left off." The A&R said. Temari believed that having Kakashi in the studio was integral to the success of the album. Their producer had a lot of ideas in his mind but she could not follow his vision. Although it was only the third day for the album's production. Temari did not want to sweat it out. Not yet.

After clearing up the little miscommunication during the intro section, Shira was able to finish recording all his guitar parts including the layers, fills and doubling under two hours. That afternoon, it was Temari's turn to begin recording her guitar parts. At first Temari was reluctant at the idea of having the lead guitarist play before the rhythm guitarist but after watching session earlier, she would have to agree with her bosses' decision. The lead guitar section sounded great even without the rhythm and adding one make the song sound phenomenal.

* * *

The middle Sabaku spent the rest of her midday break on the rooftop. It was her secret place in the four-storey studio. It crossed her mind that it was the perfect place to smoke since it provided great ventilation. She stopped thinking about it deliberately since it was associated with the bad news Shikamaru shared with her during her meeting with Captio and Reza. She had only signed the contract the Friday before and was surprised by the amount of money and royalties she would be receiving from it. Even her parents would be full of shock when they found out about it. The seven-figure contract was something that she would earn in ten lifetimes if she was not a major label recording artist.

Temari looked for a place to seat and cussed when she did not find any. Instead she leaned against the railings and looked down. There was not much to see as always. Instead of staring into empty spaces, she dialed a number she had been frequently calling. After a couple of rings, Shino answered.

"Hey." She said.

"Hi Temari, did you have lunch?"

"I haven't. I'm not hungry though. Besides, I'm gonna sing later. What about you?"

"I got a sandwich on my way back to campus. I had to pick up a specialized book I ordered from a store."

"What is it about?"

"A Complete List of Hemipterans* in the Union."

"Would you mind _educating_ me about Hemipterans?"

"Hemipterans are insects which we commonly refer to as 'bugs' but there's a confusion on that. Why? Because people think that all insects _are_ bugs. If properly defined, bugs are insects which have sucking mouthparts. They are also capable of communication."

"I guess cicadas are considered as hemipterans."

"Yes, they are."

"Lucky guess."

"Anyway, are you free this Saturday?"

"I'm sorry I can't. I have to drive Kankuro to the airport." Even if she did, Temari would still have made it in the concert. However, she wanted some 'me' time. The toxic atmosphere of the studio had taken its toll on her and they had barely finished recording one song.

"Is that so? See you this Friday then."

"Of course. I can't miss Beck**."

"See you." Shino said.

Temari was expecting him to hang up but he didn't she felt obliged to stall the conversation because she found it rude to just turn off her handset. "I was thinking… does Kiba sing?"

"Kiba? He does for a hobby."

"Why don't you get him as your singer?"

"I thought you liked Kabuto."

"He's skilled but Kiba has been watching Le Konchu on the sidelines way longer than me. He'd be the first guy to notice if something is wrong. And he's been pointing that out to everybody except of course, Kabuto and Hana."

"Kabuto has been with us for a few months. We can't sack him because one guy doesn't like him."

"I would have to agree on that. But don't you think it's better to talk to Kabuto about it? You're the only one who doesn't take it against personally. Kabuto won't react badly if you discuss it over a cup of coffee or tea."

"I never considered it that way. Are you speaking from experience?"

"Yes. You know I've been in too many bands since I started playing gigs. If you're just gonna ask him, I won't sack Kabuto _right now_ but you should consider that Kiba isn't one to make an issue out of nothing. I thought he was overreacting last night but he isn't. Kiba's simply concerned about the state of your band…"

"Too much for Kiba. I want to hear _your_ opinions on the state of _our_ band."

"It's functioning but I think… it's not at its healthy state anymore."

He remained mum on the topic. Shino shifted topics immediately. Somehow, it ticks off Temari. For that call, Temari found it disrespecting. "Do you think Kiba can sing?"

She took a deep breath. It wasn't a rude way to cut her off. He was only being 'Shino' - straightforward and confident. "Consider it as a possibility. His speaking voice is great. With proper projection, he can use it well."

"Maybe I'll have you evaluate him. Uhm, Temari, I need to drop by the library. What time should I call you later?"

Shino does not have classes for the rest of the afternoon on Thursdays.

"I'm not sure. I'll text you when I'm done here."

"Alright then. I'll hung up."

Beep.

Any normal person would find it ill-mannered but Temari knew it was in Shino's nature to act that way.

Two weeks had passed and Temari became familiar with his presence. Shino knew a lot about music. His playlist of Indie, Post-punk and Britpop bands was a great place to start finding new songs and artists to listen to. Temari began appreciating Coldplay with 'Don't Panic' and 'In My Place' even though she was not immersed in pop rock. It was the genre of music that made you feel good and she didn't want to evoke such feelings when she was much younger. Punk made her feel free and rebellious which was great to release all the anxiety she carried everywhere. But sometimes, listening to other music is essential to allow oneself to feel other forms of emotions, she thought.

Temari said to herself, maybe it was Shino's peculiarity that attracted her to him in the first place. Even though it mean cutting her off in the middle of an explanation, dropping a call all of a sudden and wearing shades all the time. She apologized to him mentally about having doubts about him in the first place. Feeling the light gust of wind on her face, Temari closed her eyes and hummed randomly.

* * *

She spent the night in Shino's apartment, confined within the four corners of his room and on the surface of his bed and under the comfort of his sheets. She stared on his room's white ceilings. She could have walked over the window and looked over the gloomy, evening street but Shino had fallen asleep with an arm wrapped around her. Any form of movement might wake him up and she had said too much unspoken words inside her head since last evening that were against him.

Temari wanted to take everything back even if Shino never heard any of it. The only thing she could think of at that moment was through contact. He never forced her to sleep with him but he had been discreet in his requests which Temari declined until now. Actually, for that evening, it was Temari who took the initiative.

Focusing on the pleasure and not the person made Temari feel even more disgusted at herself. She had shared a bed with him because she felt guilty about her inner doubts on Shino which had snowballed.

Her agitation kept her awake. She shifted her weight on her left to face him. The man in front of her never did anything to deserve her lack of appreciation towards him. She made a fool out of him. It was at that moment Temari realized that she will never fall in love with Shino. She never had fallen in love to begin with. All the attraction she felt towards the opposite sex were all limited to the physical.

What Temari brought to his life was nothing, she thought. He made her less sullen and more alive as a person. But what had she done to Shino?

Nothing at all... 'And he did not deserve any of it' an inner voice in her said.

She apologized to him again, this time, loud and clear.

* * *

* - got the info from wiki

** - Beck as in Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad.


	11. Track 5 - Black Cola

**Track 5 – Black Cola**

The 'Temari' people would recognize publicly was the 'Temari' manufactured in an hour of make-up, hairstyling and dressing up at the minimum. Heavy black eyeliner and smoky eye shadow mixed with neon green and bright purple hues strengthened her teal eyes. Her face was made paler for the shoot to make the black leather stand out more. It was pointed out by Shiho during the fitting since Temari has a slight tan. Prior to that day, she didn't apply sunblock or went under the sun just to revert to her natural fairer complexion.

Reza wanted her to wear bright red lipstick which Guren had disagreed with since Temari doesn't wear any loud color on her lips. They settled with black lipstick after arguing pointlessly. Her usual stylist, Karin, a fashion designer by trade, had been grumbling about the makeup Reza wanted.

"I told them twenty five times that you're not into scene fashion!" She sighed while applying strokes of eye shadow. "I told them that we should just use your normal image but they disagreed. Can you believe that?!"

"I guess when they wanted to take me as their brand ambassador, they were referring to the brand of 'Temari'." Temari began batting her eyelids by reflex. She was starting to feel uncomfortable from the chemicals on her face.

"Stop moving." The brush she held firmly against her eyelids was immediately removed. Karin groaned which only meant that something terrible happened. Which could only be smearing.

"Did it… smear?" She queried intermittently. Karin is mean-tempered, especially when it concerns her art.

"Yeah." The stylist functioning as a make-up artist made squeaking sounds. "…hmmm... Can you open your eyes?"

She did as asked. Feeling the weight of powder, pencil and fluid placed on her eyelids, Temari focused on opening her eyelids. She blinked twice to check if it was still too wet to be moved.

"That… looks great." Karin nodded half-heartedly.

"You don't sound very convincing." Temari turned the chair around to find a mirror and was flabbergasted to see what had happened. The odd combination of liquid eye shadow made a messy blot on her eyes and dripped down to her cheeks. It was not picture perfect but it was _grotesque_ and eyecatchy. "I like it. Tell them it's my idea. That way, Shiho or any of the other Reza guys won't react badly."

Temari was already wearing the outfit for the main photo spread. She had on a classic, black, leather jacket Reza tailor fit for the occasion. Straight-cut, ripped jeans, unbranded black, military boots and bandages around her breasts completed her outfit. With the sudden change in makeup, Temari suddenly felt comfortable in her skin.

When the director called them for a huddle, the whole crew stared at her. She looked like a modern version of The Corpse Bride except the bride part. The only prop for that day's final shoot was a relic Fender Stratocaster as sponsored by the Metal Music Shop. Earlier she had to carry a real shotgun without any barrels for the first shoot in a barren field just outside of Leaf City's borders and a motorcycle along the messy part of the freeway leading to Tree City. For the third and final shoot, it was located in the heart of Tree City. All of that happened in a day and it was partly Reza's fault for pushing back the production date thus conflicting with her recording schedule.

Temari stood in front of the lights, camera, and the rest of the spectators. She was the only speck atop the plain white background for tonight's canvas. Fatigue did not sink in to her until she saw the digital clock the studio had on its walls displaying 04:48AM. She had been awake for more than 24 hours.

"Are you ready Temari?"

"Yeah." She answered.

With every flash, Temari moved based on what her ears could pick up. The director gave a few instructions to which she responded smoothly. Her mind was numbed from functioning properly. Temari did not even notice that they had finished a thousand shots. The director initiated an applause to which everybody in the room joined to.

There were barely anyone in the room except for the poor foot soldiers. Guren had long retired since they had to start early the next day. Shiho, Reza's representative, only appeared during the last shoot and Temari had heard ample details that about the girl's personal life.

She asked Temari for a photo together to which she assented. After several shots with the rest of the team, Temari asked Karin to return to the hotel with her. The five minute walk seemed like an eternity to Temari. They entered through the backdoor and used the freight elevator. When she entered her room, she threw herself on the bed while Karin cleaned the caricature on her face. She had not realized that she instantly fell into deep slumber upon contact with the rented bed.

* * *

The following morning, Guren woke her up gently. When she checked the time on her mobile phone, it was 7:52AM.

"Is it Day 2?"

"It is." Guren agreed.

"What's in it for today again?" Temari tried opening her eyes but had a burning sensation. It usually happens when she did not get enough sleep.

"The group shot."

"Starting what time?"

"Ten o'clock in the morning. It's expected to finish in the next twelve hours."

Temari forced herself up and took a quick shower. On the way to the Multimedia studio, Guren gave Temari a cup of coffee and a bagel which she forced down her throat. Both hurried out of the vehicle and was led by a runner to her dressing room. Karin was already there and shook her head when she noticed Temari's bloodshot eyes were far worse than hers.

"Did you have any sleep? You look withered." The makeup artist slash stylist commented.

"We need to hurry. The shoot shall start at ten sharp." Temari reminder her.

For the second day of shooting, Temari donned a plainer makeup; her usual dark eyeliner, heavy mascara and nude lipstick atop a neutral base but she wore the most extravagant outfit in the group. The head stylist assigned Temari to wear a Victorian inspired gown made all from leather. The corset had an intricate woven pattern of white, matte leather and black, rough leather. The full, asymmetrical crinoline dress had several layers of black and white fabric. The base was made of white leather with a powdery finish with drapes of dark gray, transparent leather. The overall feel of the outfit was too gothic for both their tastes. Unsatisfied with how Temari looked in the dress, Karin accessorized her with fingerless, fishnet gloves which reached her elbows, a pair of opaque red stockings.

The ensemble had Kimimaro of the Progressive Rock band, Sound Five, frontman of grunge band Bombermen, Deidera, method actor and ambient singer Haku, enka rapper Killer B and Industrial Dance musician Pain. All the men are icons in their respective genres. While Temari, who has only been in the mainstream light for a few months, felt like a sore thumb in the ensemble.

The group shot was closely directed. Pain took the center position in all shots while the rest of them were shuffled. The director was particularly stiff about Temari's inability to follow some verbal instructions. A female assistant shadowed for some of the poses which didn't help much because of the corset gripping her torso.

After successfully completing all the needed frames, the group needed to have a video shoot of them playing performing music. Reza decided to use music as their statement. Temari changed from the crinoline to a bustle which allowed her to position her guitar properly. The shoot lasted for eight dreadful hours.

Because of her makeup and outfit, Temari was unable to eat as much as the other brand ambassadors. As soon as the director had called it a day, Temari decided to have some time alone. It was a Saturday and on those days, she got used to staying up. While hanging out in the hotel's lobby, she was approached by Shikamaru and Kurenai who both gave their greetings. They excused themselves immediately.

Before she knew it, the strategic consultant returned to where he was moments earlier.

"What's up?" Shikamaru said.

"Hmm?" Temari removed one of the earphones in her ear.

"I found something out." He was referring to some of his findings.

"Meet me in the convenience store across the street in five minutes, _Make sure_ you aren't seen or followed. If somebody asks why you were talking to me just now, tell them that it's about my contract and Iruka had made you discuss some matters on his behalf."

He 'hmm'-ed to reply 'yes'.

"I'll go out in a while. You start talking."

"About?"

"You have to convince all the onlookers that you're discussing legal things… and lawyers are eloquent. Make an effort will you?"

"Two million ryo is a lot of money. It would take us commoners to earn that in five years while working like slaves. Even if you shelve off the tax, you still have a lot to take home…" Shikamaru looked at her and she didn't budge. "I'm not used to wordy dialogue. I'm running out of things to say."

"Contract."

"Fine. In drafting the contracts for all the involved endorsers in this project, our legal office considered two things to determine your compensation: the artist's overall image and the required participation of the artist. Kimimaro, Deidara, Haku, Killer B and Pain are also Reza's brand ambassadors but they will be receiving at least ten times of what you will receive because they're more seasoned musicians. But the second factor was not considered for these men. They won't have four-city tours in their countries of origin. The only performance they would do is through Reza Live Play…which you would be part of too. In my opinion, you were shortchanged."

"How so?"

"You would be paying for your band's logistics for the tour. How much would that cost?"

"If my manager would be generous, a hundred thousand."

He chuckled. "I expected more."

"It's a short tour and it's in the Wind Country. I know my way there."

"…but, your photos will be reproduced much more than the others. If you think you're worth what they're giving you, I'm telling you that you're not. They're not valuing you for what you're worth."

"Once the contract expires, we can negotiate."

"There's that too, but after what, a year? Who knows if they would push throat with this gimmick. I consider it as something too risky for a starting brand. But I agree though, they won't go bankrupt in a year, especially with the dimwitted consumers they will enthuse to buy their products using rock stars as their bait. I think they'll be a fad."

"As much as I want to talk back, I can't. I'll see you in front of 7-11."

Temari wore a light, gray sweatshirt, and straight cut jeans, her usual lazy outfit during college. The nostalgia brought by her plain garbs caused her to miss the life she left behind. Her age was right but her experiences were not a fit. She longed for attending classes and had considered continuing her degree after the tour for her upcoming album is done.

She bought a can of coke and waited for Shikamaru outside. The way that the thick trees along the pavement concealed her provided great cover. He crossed the street much later than the agreed time. The young consultant wore his usual black suit except he had a light blue shirt in it.

"You took a while." She complained. "The longer I waited for you, the more arguments my head created about those things you told me. If you think Reza will fail, I don't think they will since it's a risky strategy; it can go really well or really bad, and so far, the way I look at it, it's moving towards the right direction. That means, I will renew my contract with them."

He looked away and lit a cigarette.

"Also, that tour would help us out jumpstart the new album. It's also a great avenue to spread word about 'Temari' and Kamatari."

He audibly exhaled while crouching down.

"One more thing, the only time I see you smoke is whenever you're talking to me. During the shoot earlier, you didn't go out regularly to light a stick and I found it odd. But when I heard your girlfriend defending your smoking habits from her curious coworkers, it confirmed my suspicions that you're not a chain smoker."

"Shiho is not my girlfriend."

"Everybody will disagree with what you just said. And that doesn't explain your unnatural smoking routine."

"I am not dependent on it. I smoke occasionally like how others drink cola on a boring evening."

Temari chuckled. "You actually argued back at me."

"It was the best way to describe the reason why I smoke."

"By the way, I told you not to get involved in my biz."

"I didn't. I just learned something about it and it won't hurt me to tell you." He threw the half-burnt stick on the ground. "Somebody tipped us off in Captio. I just don't know who. But it's somebody who works closely with you. Ever since Reza had expressed interest to have you in this project, it has been established since day one that you're Sabaku Temari. I saw it in a copy of your 'Artist Licensure Agreement'. I think that's where they found out about your identity."

"It makes sense that they shared that with you. I guess my label got careless."

"It's a minor detail for us but it's a big deal for you and your team. Don't worry though, I spoke to Iruka about it and my bosses agreed to refer to you as Tatsumaki instead of Sabaku."

"Do you know where the nearest Ichiraku's Ramen branch is?"

"No."

"Google it. I'll meet you there in a while."

"Changing locations again?"

"It's too open here. Besides, I can see Killer B in the lobby. A guy as flashy as him would attract attention anywhere he is. Get moving, I'll follow you."

Temari left the laziest person she knew, returned to her room and grabbed her purse. She did not expect that he made an effort to patch up one of her worries. Now, she felt indebted to him and that discussion on money reminded her that not everyone grew up with a golden spoon.

The ramen shop was ten minutes away from the hotel. Tree City was far a lot quieter than Leaf City even though it is considered as the Entertainment Hub of Fire Country. She saw Shikamaru slouching in front of a cup of tea.

"Great, there's nobody here. Temari took out a blank sheet of paper and pen from her purse and gave it to Shikamaru. "Write down your account number."

"What for?"

"Payment."

"There's no need for that."

"You helped me clean up some rubble. I pay people to do that for me. Write it down."

"I'll add it to your tab… under administrative expenses for today."

"That will do. Good night. I'll be off."

"See you tomorrow."

Temari ran back to her hotel and had a long chat with Shino. He ended it when he noticed that Temari responded a lot slower than usual.

* * *

For the third day, the brand ambassadors began shooting the TV commercial. The first video to be shot was the group video. As always, the focus of the campaign was Pain, Temari was much more comfortable in the video shoot since she wore a black, leather trench coat, a white, leather tube dress, and brown combat boots. Her energy was wasted on mostly waiting for her turn to be shot since the men were bigger stars than her.

By two o'clock, the individual frames were started to be taken and her bad luck made her to be shot last, from eight to ten o'clock. It would be ridiculous to sleep in the studio when everybody acts restlessly.

She stayed behind the scenes and watched how Pain, Killer B, Haku, and Deidara (in that order), performed in front of the camera. Absorbing how the video shoots were carefully produced wearied her. When Deidara had finished the last angle, it was already ten-thirty in the evening. The crew had not taken a long break and they decided to have one right before Temari's turn. She was already too dazed to react at all when the director asked for any objections. If she was in normal spirits, Temari would have argued that 'I will not adjust my schedule because somebody made a mistake in managing the whole production'.

Majority of the crew left the set to separate themselves from the stress laden place but Temari found no reason to run away from it. She was already worn-out from three days of working nonstop and getting by through a few hours of sleep and a sandwich. Yet, her anxiety stemmed from how her delayed schedule for Reza's campaign is affecting her other commitments. She had to take a hiatus from recording to accommodate Reza's change in production dates. The following morning, she has to stop by the studio and resume recording. But their progress for the campaign is already two hours late.

Shikamaru approached her with two cups of coffee in both hands. He handed one to her. "Guren asked me to give this to you. She said she needs to speak with somebody concerning your schedule right now. She said something about a studio manager."

"Thanks." She took the cup and inhaled the aroma. "Great. It's just the right temp for drinking." She drank it down leaving not a single drop in the styro cup.

She was seated in one of the many foldable chairs scattered around the studio. Shikamaru sat on the chair nearest to her. Again he was wearing the same black suit but he wore a plain white v-neck tee shirt.

"I need your email." He said quietly.

"What for?" She knew what it was for. In fact, Temari is distressed by the fact that he did not stop investigating 'that matter'.

"For administrative work."

"Do you have a piece of paper for me to write it on?"

"You can text your email to my number. I just sent your personal phone a text message using mine."

"…how did you get my number?"

"Ino."

"Right. _Ino._ " She never gave Ino her number even though they knew each other's social media accounts. Among her friends in Konoha, only Sakura and Shino knew her number. The only person who Ino could get her number from was Kankuro or maybe, Naruto, through Gaara.

"Guren also asked me to assist you if you need anything else."

"I'm alright. Thank you."

"Are you sure you're fine? It seems like you need to grab a bite or something."

"I _said_ I'm fine." She said strongly.

He slightly jerked. It wasn't Temari's usual sarcasm or arrogance speaking, but an irate Temari. "Okay." He said slowly. "If you don't mind me telling you, I discovered some new things."

"Keep it short."

"Reza knows that your name is Sabaku Temari but nobody really looked into it since they're based in Leaf City. But once they arrive in Suna, I'm certain that they'll know what it means to be somebody with that surname in the Wind Country means."

 _Shit. This stupid project is causing me much more problems._

Temari grumbled. She could feel her heart beating harshly. As if warning her of the possible troubles that lie ahead would actually help her. "How much would you be charging us for this?"

"It's all covered under your team's administrative expenses for these three days."

"Don't bullshit me, Nara. I checked the financials and you've not charged me anything. What do you want? A blank check? Cash on delivery? Shares? Name it now."

"I'm not that kind of person who would watch a friend of mine deal with his trouble alone."

"You should fucking realize my fucking position Nara. For things like this, there will be lawsuits if it gets into the wrong hands. I told you not to get involved because I can hire people who do that this for me. But you still got involved in spite of me warning you that one time. I offered to pay you directly so you have some form of guarantee and you refused. Yesterday, you said you'll charge it to us but you charged us nothing on paper. I don't understand what you're doing! If you really think of me as your friend, then you should have thought how this _friend_ of yours would feel if you keep on walking into dangerous grounds she's constantly stopping you from entering in? Don't make me feel accountable for your wellbeing! Don't add to the things that I have to worry about!"

"You don't need to worry about me because there are people I can rely on. You are alone in the Fire Country. Your brothers, friends and parents are all three hours away. Don't you see that nobody is looking out for you?"

She scoffed. "I appreciate the gesture but I can take care of myself."

"If you did, this won't happen."

"Don't ever dig into this matter again or I'll skin you alive."

"As if I could do that. You skinning me alive would be much better than seeing your name on tabloids."

"Geez! What is this to you anyway?!"

"It's because I care dammit!" Shikamaru's pupils were dilated. It was the first time Temari had seen his face flushed with anger and it alarmed her. Whatever made him lose his composure was foreign to Temari. Her inability to respond to Shikamaru allowed the dark man realize his sudden outburst.

Shikamaru stood up and reached for his cigarette case in his jacket pocket. "That's why."

He turned his back against her but did not budge. "Sorry… take care."

When Shikamaru had snapped at her, Temari's senses awakened. Similar to how somebody would wake up in the middle of the night for no reason at all. She didn't realize that she watched him as he left the studio.

Temari went out to get a sandwich from the pantry. She prayed to avoid seeing Shikamaru while eating it slowly. Regardless of her anger, she could not bring herself to eat. She retreated to the studio, listened to music on earphones and waited for the rest of the staff to arrive. As they resumed, she keenly heeded all instructions and did her best to be as accurate as possible. In less than two hours, her scenes were completed.

She was kept awake that night because of Shikamaru's reaction. Staring into the dark horizon of the playground did not help her relax. If it was Temari who yelled at him, it would not cause such an effect on him. Perhaps, he would be more bothered if he saw her beg and cried on his shoulders.

That night it was terribly cold. For every cold breeze, she lightly rocked the swing to keep her distracted from the events that had transpired in the past three days.

* * *

There were days when Sabaku Temari would accidentally wake up in the middle of the night. Tragically, her last evening in Tree City was one of those. She cussed when she stood from bed because her mind was too active considering her lack of sleep and rest for the past few days. She was certain that in the next few hours, en route to Leaf City, she'll feel groggy due to lack of sleep. When she checked the time, it was half past four in the morning. Without anything else to do, she tempted herself to go for an outdoor jog.

Out of habit, Temari always brought a pair of running shoes whenever she's on the road. She did not bother changing the white shirt and cycling shorts she slept in. She took her gray sweatshirt and headed out of the hotel. She texted Guren to be safe.

She did a few laps in park across the hotel while listening to 'Ready to Go' by Republica on repeat. When she felt her body warmed enough, she ran at a faster pace. Ever since she had moved to the Fire Country, she never had the chance to run outdoors because of dread from the judging general public A place as unpopulated like the Tree City resonated well with her desire to have time for herself.

When she checked the time, it was almost five-thirty. Her inner rebel begged to extend for a few more laps. The warmth from the autumn sun stirred a strange sensation in the artist. She perceived her surroundings and focused on subjects at random. She did not know how much time had passed but her cogitations were cut short when she felt a few drops of rain falling down on her.

The hotel was about five minutes away from where she was if she runs in top speed. Noticing that the sun was still brightly shining, Temari could not help but laugh. Phenomenon like that never happened in Sandy City or in any place found in the Wind Country.

The sun shower became stronger, forcing Temari to take shelter under the dense tree grove in front of 7-11, across the hotel. The odd smell of the sun's scent arising from the reaction from the heavy downpour and the road began to peeve her. She could see Shikamaru in the glass-walled lobby spotting her under the tree. The instance he spoke with the hotel's lobby boy, she knew what he was pulling. Temari risked drenching herself in the pouring rain and getting rather than wait for the man to fetch her with an umbrella.

As he came out of the hotel's entrance with an umbrella, he froze when he saw Temari sodden. The artist only wished to see his disappointed face. She rolled her eyes when he attempted to speak.

"It was raining…I thought you were waiting it out—"

"I can see that it was raining and yes I was waiting it out—" Temari stopped herself from continuing. It was the part when she's supposed to contradict his actions. "But I'm not waiting for somebody to give me an umbrella."

She walked passed him but he followed her inside the elevator.

Temari warned. "Shiho won't like what you're doing."

"Whatever you think there is between me and Shiho, it's not there." He answered back. "You haven't sent me your email."

The elevator shaft opened on the tenth floor and both remained silent. If Temari's memory serves her right, the artists' rooms are one floor higher than the rest of the team but Shikamaru did not leave for the 27th floor. Temari glared at him before departing for the 28th floor. It would be safe to talk there since the whole room was reserved for the artists.

"You have to see the files." Shikamaru said.

"Do you have your phone with you?"

"Yeah." Shikamaru reached for his iPhone 5, unlocked it and set it to 'add contact'.

Temari typed her email, using the name Li Fan.

"Send it there."

"Li Fan?"

"It's a dummy mail linked to my actual email. I can't hand out my personal email to just anybody. Only eight people know that address including you."

"How much can I sell it for?" Shikamaru slipped his phone back into his back pocket.

"Some journalists would buy it for as low as two thousand ryo."

"I'd rather _not_ sell it then." He gave a curt smile but Temari continued glowering at him.

Shikamaru sighed. "It was a joke. Lighten up. You've been grumpy. The production part is done. The next part of the campaign would be the press conference which is on Friday."

Temari smirked. She agreed with the lazy genius this time. Her foul mood was getting out of hand and he kept her from being worse. Perhaps she had overreacted last night. If she was in Shikamaru's shoes, she would have helped him out in great lengths especially knowing that if it would lead to his eventual downfall.

"By the way… about yesterday..." Temari thought it was the best time to bring it up. "Add it to my tab."

"Done. I've added some amount under your team's expenses." Shikamaru replied. "I've thought about it last night and realized that you're …right."

She scoffed. It would take a lot of effort for him to admit that he is wrong. As a matter of fact, using his wired head for anything is unheard of. In spite of his appalling vigor, he had a share of noble characteristics. Temari then, admitted to herself that notwithstanding their squabbles, she and Shikamaru get along quite well. He had known this since day one. If not, he would not had wasted his time hanging around with her during gatherings.

"See you around." Temari waved at him as she retreated to the hotel room that adopted her for the past thee days.

Every fancy hotel room she had the privilege of staying in were always left in sterling condition. She left the impression of being a shadow to all their hosts unlike most public figures. Local gossips about Killer B, Haku, Kimimaro, Deidara and Pain had been one of the most followed topics on her Twitter feed. As much as her team would like making one up for her, Temari had already ordered them to steer away from what she referred to as 'desperate exhibits'.

Her mantra - a musician is made famous because of his music and not because of anything else, had kept her grounded in the chaotic world she had been living in. However, Temari was aware of the lurking shadows waiting to devour her and they were certainly worse the her inner demons.

* * *

A/N: From this chapter onwards, there will be a subtle change in genre. For this reason, I removed this fic under 'Angst' and changed it to 'Mystery'.

I was too tempted to post this because I'll be busy for the next two weeks. In the end, I gave in and posted Chapter 11 when I was supposed to hold it off until next week.

I hope you guys would still continue reading Songs for the Sordid! You lot are the best! xoxo


	12. Irresolute

**Irresolute**

Every day, Shikamaru would always be awoken right after the first buzz of his alarm. He would take a few moments to grasp his bearings before looking at the time and date flashed in the digital clock on his bedside table. It flashed 7:46AM, September 21, 2021.

Tomorrow would be his birthday. His 23rd. Ino was organizing a night out on the coming Saturday, the 25th and she has been bugging Shikamaru to invite Temari whenever they see each other.

He would always ask her. "Why don't you invite her yourself?"

And she would always answer. "You really are an idiot."

End of discussion.

As much both of the birthday celebrants would like to invite the Wind Country native, neither of them were going through the effort of asking her to attend the joint party. Although, Ino has always expressed that she would _love_ having Temari that Saturday, she is shoving the responsibility to Shikamaru while he doesn't see the rationale behind his friend's intention.

He prepared for work. Arrived in the office ten minutes earlier than 8 o'clock. Did the boring paperwork. Had lunch with his teammates. Resumed work by 1 o'clock. Prepared to leave the office at 5 o'clock. Arrived in his apartment at 6 o'clock. Watched the evening news for two hours. Had Chinese takeaway for dinner in the middle of watching TV.

The day had passed with his head debating on whether or not he should send an email to Temari as an invitation for Saturday. He feared that she would yell at him the next time they see each other because he sent something to her that she is not expecting. Temari gave that email to him so that he can send the documents he discovered while investigating Reza and Captio. Her 'Li Fan' address is not supposed to be used carelessly, that's for sure and Shikamaru could not define what 'careless' meant in this case.

Another alternative was to send a text message to Temari. That would be much more acceptable but he could imagine that she would just ignore it. After all, her contact list _now_ would be full of famous musicians. Come to think of it, she's rumored to be friends with the model 'Sen' and fellow punk artist 'Osaki Nana'. Of course, those people would take precedence in her social life. Shikamaru is just a shadow amongst the stars.

The email seemed like a much better choice for Shikamaru. He would just refer to her as 'Li Fan'.

He typed:

'Hi Li Fan. Ino and I would be celebrating our birthdays on the 25th. We'll be glad if you join us. Thanks.

-Shikamaru.'

It was short and direct. Shikamaru was sure that it won't tick her off if she reads it.

He pressed send.

Afterwards, he placed his phone on the table, face down. He could not focus on the news reports now. He was praying that she would reply soon or else, it would not get out of his head. He heard an email notification just seconds after.

He was looking forward for 'Li Fan' to reply no matter what she had written.

But it wasn't Li Fan.

It was MAILER-DAEMON.

Something was not right.

Temari said that there were only eight people who know her dummy email. If her accounts would get hacked, Shikamaru was sure that it won't be that. Of course, Temari won't just delete that account because it is likely that it is her safer email address. Out of impulse, Shikamaru dialled her phone number and as expected, had heard a recorded voice of a lady saying 'The number you have called is not a working number'.

He would have visited her apartment if he knew her city address. Calling up his friends and asking for it would arouse suspicions among his friends. Temari would hate him for it since she's the type who solved her problems alone. Shikamaru respected her views on that _if_ it was a personal problem.

But whatever she was dealing with was too big to be considered as personal. There was a slight chance that it is a personal attack on her since she's now a public figure. However, Shikamaru could not grasp what exactly the suspect is after.

The sneaky attempt to leak Temari's background to Captio and Reza was an obvious assault on 'Sabaku Temari'. Although, if he wanted to publicize it, he could have gone straight to the tabloids and shared the information to them.

Shikamaru went over to the balcony and had a smoke. He laughed when he remembered that Temari mentioned that he only smokes when he is around her. It was true. Now that he was thinking about her woes, he felt the weight of the world on him. Thinking about how she gets by every single day disturbed Shikamaru. She is a strong person but there is always a limitation.

From what he could see, Temari is approaching the edge.

* * *

A/N: I've had the inspiration to write some extra chapters in between Chapter 12 and 13 because of the huge time gap in between. A lot can happen in a month. Without me knowing it, my head betrayed me and imagined a lot of stuff during this 'in-between' period.

As a result, I'll posted a couple of 'Extra' chapters before updating the full-length chapter. Don't worry, like the previous extra, they are worth reading. :)


	13. The Deal

**The Deal**

Gaara could visibly observe that his older brother's one week vacation was horrible. The brunette had stubble growing on his face and his eyes look much worse compared to a bad overtime in the office. Even if Kankuro had asked Gaara to accompany him to a bar, the younger Sabaku had not heard a single word from his usually vocal brother.

Something happened in the Leaf City and Gaara calmed the excitement forming inside his inner demons. He had to hear everything from his brother's own mouth or else, he won't be sleeping later that evening.

"Is something wrong?" He was itching to know. Gaara _needed_ to ask it.

"How did you notice?"

"You're awfully silent, you asked the driver to drop you off to the nearest bar, and you look terrible in general." Gaara enumerated all his factual observations.

"You won the bet."

Gaara's eyes widened, a subtle smile came out of his worried face. If he had won _the bet,_ Sabaku Gaara will be earning two hundred grand for the next financial quarter because of the combined investments under his and Kankuro's name. There was an urge for Gaara to laugh loudly but he wanted to respect his brother's grief. After all, if he lost a hundred thousand in one quarter, he might have gone to the mountains and offer himself to the eagles.

"I told you we should have bet on something else." Gaara said teasingly.

"I was _so_ sure, Gaara. I even gave Shikamaru her number." Kankuro gulped one cup.

"You're usually right in things like this. I actually don't know what to do with the money in the first place."

"Don't lie Gaara." He smirked. "I know you're thinking of buying a Mustang or something."

"I'm not into cars as much as you are. You have way too much cars for an average, twenty-three year old."

"I only have three cars."

"You don't need three and in the first place, you barely use any of them. If I were you, I would have spent the money for a unit or a house instead of wasting it on cars." Gaara ordered for a bottle of sake. "Don't feel too bad about your loss. We can have another bet."

"Not anytime soon." Kankuro took the bottle and drank directly from it. "Who the heck would have thought that she'll date _Shino_?" He stressed at the mention of the man's name.

"The guy is persistent. She's quite insistent on him too." Gaara remarked.

"I don't think it would last though." Kankuro commented. "I know Temari too well. She'll grow bored of the relationship and the guy will breakup with her because she's not that into him."

"We can bet on when they'll break-up." Gaara brought it up.

"I bet that they would before the end of this year... Scratch that. I bet that he'll dump her around October."

"Then I shall bet that… Shino would dump her around December."

"Quarter four earnings?"

Gaara felt that lady luck was on his side this year. Taking a risk would make him gain more. "Quarter four earnings _and_ year-end dividends."

"No fucking way Gaara."

"Yes fucking way Kankuro."

"Be good to your brother. I can't bet all my earnings." Kankuro scoffed.

"You're not starting a famil—" Gaara, in his monotonous voice, rebutted.

Kankuro twitched. As much as he tried to cover it, he visibly _twitched._

Right then, Gaara reached his breaking point. He covered his mouth and began laughing. "—so that's what's bothering you, _daddy_."

"Do you even know how babies are made Gaara?" He snapped back.

"I have a rough idea." Gaara sighed. "I read it in books."

"Experience beats knowledge this time, bookworm." Kankuro shook his head in disbelief.

"Who said I don't have experience?"

"Fuck no."

"Fuck yes." Gaara mirrored his brother's expression. It bothered the already stressed out Kankuro even more. His light teal eyes blinked at Kankuro's dark brown's and he saw all his worries lightening.

"It's the Houki girl. The cool one." The brunette guessed.

"If this was another bet, you would have won." Gaara drank his first cup.

"Damn, you're all grown up." Kankuro said as an attempt to divert the topic.

"Have mercy on her. Your girl is still in college." Gaara, though, reminded him of the painful truth.

"It's a false alarm. We had 'it' checked just before I left."

"Shouldn't you celebrate?" Gaara expected a quick-witted answer but there was not a single word that had come out of his brother. All the brunette did was pour another cup of sake and drank it bottoms up.

The youngest Sabaku reexamined his choice of words. Unlike his older siblings who were naturally blunt, Gaara had more tact yet he is the one who thinks about how his words would be received by his listeners.

"Did I say something I was not supposed to?"

"I would have said something worse to you if you're in my shoes."

If Temari was right there with them, Kankuro would have felt a lot better. Their sister was keen to sense if something was wrong with either of the brothers, but both Gaara and Kankuro were uneasy to share their rare emotions to their know-it-all sister. The men were much more comfortable to share their personal lives with each other but neither were sensitive enough to touch on the topic. Although it was a different story if they were together.

They finished the remaining bottle and headed out. Forcing both men to wait for their transport during the Sand City's rush hour would enrage them. As a result, they took the transit and walked the rest of the way.

"'Coz baby you're a firework~~!" Kankuro was bumped on the shoulder by a hurriedly walking man who apologized without looking at the tipsy brunette. Gaara knew that he was still sane enough to stand up on his own.

"You've been singing the same line for twenty three times." Gaara told him. "I suggest that we take a cab now."

"Denied." Kankuro moved his hands in an 'X' gesture.

"You should have told Temari. Perhaps, she could shed a better light on your situation more than I do." Gaara walked alongside Kankuro to keep him from swaying too much.

"Since she's a woman?" This time, he sat on the pavements in the middle of the busy street. "I'm fucking dizzy."

"It took you quite some time to realize that." Gaara handed him a bottle of water which was saved.

"Thanks." Kankuro sarcastically uttered. "Well… I've tried bringing it up to Temari but I did not have the guts to say it to her because I know she'll be pissed since she's a feminist and all."

"She won't be…" Gaara heard a flash from a Polaroid camera in the middle of a busy workday street. He scanned the area. In front of them was a two lane road occupied with vehicle traffic. Behind them were a moving flock of people from all walks of life. Nobody would be engrossed enough in an unordinary moment except if the photographer is capturing a subject.

"She won't be too hard on you…" He continued. Gaara wanted to make sure if they were being photographed because his guts are warning him. In an instant, he thought of an excuse to leave Kankuro for a minute. "There's a convenience store right around the corner. Do you want me to get you something?"

"Rum." Gaara could barely understand what Kankuro was saying as his head was resting on his arms in an almost fetal position.

"What?" The redhead stood up from the pavement and tried locating the camera flash he saw.

"Rum." Kankuro raised his head.

"We have all sorts of spirits at home." Gaara identified the approximate location.

"But we don't have cheap rum." The eldest Sabaku would usually yell back if he wants a favor but this time, he politely asked. "Please?"

Gaara chuckled and patted his brother's back. He wanted to help him out in any way he could. After all, he had been looking out for him ever since they were small. But Gaara did not want him to continue his public stint. His elder brother made his drunkenness a reason to flip out in public even though he was completely conscious. But Kankuro was not aware enough to notice the shutter Gaara had heard.

His light teal eyes examined the stretch. He saw everyone moving but one obscured figure. Gaara approached the man from his side. From where the photographer was at, it was the perfect position to take photos of the pair of them earlier.

Gaara grabbed the arm of the photographer.

"Excuse me sir." He said in a commanding voice.

"Do—" The man, behind his shades and baseball cap grew pale when he saw one of the Sabakus witnessing him in the act.

"I don't want any trouble." Gaara kept his grip firm. "I just want those photos and we can come up with some sort of arrangement."

Their father had a long list of enemies and Gaara could not place his finger where to start from. Most of them were in the business sector, and some political but never did Rasa commit a crime against his enemies. Sabaku Rasa is smart, and Gaara knew that. His father made use of underhanded tactics but would never resort to crimes. None of these men were bold enough to attempt to spy on any of the Sabaku in their city of residence.

Although, Gaara is certain that their father's enemies never had any of Sabaku Rasa's relatives followed and documented.

The man unlatched the camera's harness around his body and handed it to Gaara. In a split second, the man, shoved Gaara and run against the crowd. The redhead wanted to keep his cool but the pathetic attempt to escape peeved him. The man must have thought that he was a typical, pampered, son of a CEO who never had experienced brawling.

Gaara smoothly followed the man's clumsy direction without bumping against anybody. He was sure that the offender would not outrun him.

Surprised to see Sabaku Gaara right behind him, the man ran to the middle of the moving heavy traffic. Every car that he cut through almost hit him. Some honked from afar but he could not care less. The young man calmly waited and watched the instigator panic.

As the traffic light turned red, Gaara loped towards the opposite pavement. That way, he easily caught up at the man who accidentally bumped into a much larger person and fell on his rear.

Gaara took the camera which was sprawled right in front of his flayed legs.

"This is the last time I would ask nicely. Give me all photos you have taken of me and my brother."

The man, white as a ghost, reached for his camera bag. Gaara sighed because it seemed that he was still planning to escape but all of a sudden, Kankuro pinned the felon against the ground.

"He was reaching out for something shiny. It could be a knife or a weapon." The brunette explained.

"I was trying to be diplomatic." Gaara smiled as he scrutinized the contents of the mystery man's bag.

"Diplomacy was _never_ our thing."

Gaara laughed and broke the man's right index finger… it was the same finger which was used for clicking the shutter.

"Back to business, mister. The Sabaku brothers need an explanation." Gaara grinned slyly, causing the photographer to gulp his own saliva and shiver at the sight of the comely, young man.

* * *

A/N: Normal update schedule (i.e. Friday or Saturday of the week) will resume next week!


	14. Track 6 - Eye

**Track 6 – Eye (Sekigan 隻眼** **)**

Fooling people is one of the skills Temari acquired as she had become accustomed to the deal of a mainstream artist. An unspoken requisite, a personality always has to appear at ones best all the time. She considered herself as an expert by this time as she had to do it every, single day.

Every time Temari entered the studio during the final stages of recording, the veneer her face showed an artist looking forward to paint a picturesque image through music. But the moment she steps inside her car, Sabaku Temari would be lost in thought for an indeterminate time...

full of fear.

Three days since the press conference, Temari had received the first anonymous parcel. It contained a photo of her and Shino in a Coffee Shop near Konoha University, which happened earlier of the same day. A furious Temari asked the apartment's security about the nature of the courier but there was _not a single_ delivery serviceman who had business on the tenth floor for the day. Retrieving the security footage would require a warrant from the police.

As a result, she was firm about discussing her situation with Guren and to present it as a case to the police. But when she checked the box for a second time before heading to the studio, it contained a note. No matter what perspective Temari tries to view the contents of the note, she was sure that going to the police would cause more problems.

Ripping the paper to shreds was not enough sooth the forming rage in her. She tried to sleep it off but she could not command herself into slumber at five thirty in the afternoon. To keep her busy, she deleted all her email accounts except her only personal email and removed her sim card from her phone.

For the next two days, Temari received photos of her taken in public places for each day.

It drove her mad.

On the Thursday of that week, while waiting for Kakashi in his office, she had placed an order for a surveillance camera. She had installed the item in her door's eyehole, as it was small enough to fit in there, however the only information it gave her was irrelevantly critical; it was always a different person, who is either a messenger or delivery person, who delivers every package. Thus, there was no way to trace from 'whom' it comes from through standard methods.

The artist noticed that on the fifth day's package, the contents have included a document Temari had not seen in a long time. She burned the document and flushed the remnants of it down the toilet. It wasn't until then she had realized that things were getting out of hand. An inner voice argued that _it has been_ worsening since very first the package arrived. Actually, the combination of the stolen recordings, disclosure of her name and the ongoing package debacle, _is_ what was driving Temari to her wits end.

While sitting on her kitchen counter and dangling her feet in the air, Shikamaru's voice ringed in her head. He had laid out the likelihood that these bouts on her _are_ related. As she cogitated the genius, the assertive side of Temari came out. As a woman of strength who dealt with her own problems, she realized that she wasted five days doing nothing. Temari was quite disappointed at herself.

She hopped down the counter to ransack stacked office supplies that she might have hoarded. Succesful at the attempt, Temari gathered markers, colored tapes, sticky notes, yarns, papers, scissors and all sorts of pens. A long time had passed since the last time Temari had created a visual map. Before conceptualizing, Temari rearranged her bedroom's furniture. She moved her bed, bedside table, and reading chair to the side of her small study. Probably in her next day off, she will have somebody to take out all the fixtures in the room except her bed.

She faced the bare wall opposite on the always, obscured window. It was the perfect place to make a map. Temari began attaching the photos she had received in orange tapes, arranging them in chronological order on the wall's right. She placed date labels. Her first package arrived on the 20th of September. That day was the 24th. Thus, she had a currently, seven sets of photos. The note she had torn to pieces and the documents she burned were nowhere to post but she had placed tabs for the 20th and the 24th, to keep reminded of the note and the document.

Cussing at herself for acting so childish, she headed to her garbage bin and salvaged the pieces of paper of the note. For the document, she can find a way to get ahold of a copy through Gaara or Kankuro, but the note was critical since it was _handwritten_. Upon realizing she had recovered ninety percent of the pieces, she felt relieved. It was the first time she became grateful of her low-wastage lifestyle (because she barely throws things in the garbage bin except). She taped the pieces together and posted it, along with the photo for the day.

For the second part, Temari moved to the left side of the wall and taped papers written with **'Stolen Tapes'** , **'Captio Documents'** and **'Reza Documents'**. Including the actual documents in her unnamed map would be helpful but all she had are soft copies sent by Shikamaru. Before deleting her dummy email account, she saved all the files he had given and encrypted them. Because she was filled with the urge to finish the wall of evidence, a motivated Temari went out of her apartment to purchase a portable printer and several blank CDs.

* * *

Temari's favorite disguise, 'Nerdy Temari', usually wore an outfit consisting of a long, black cardigan, a printed tee shirt, converse sneakers, a pair of thick-rimmed glasses and had her hair tied up in a messy bun. This time, she would be wearing Kankuro's cargo shorts to look extra sloppy. It did not require much effort, and for this reason, she usually sport this kind of fashion whenever she's out. It never failed her once.

She had successfully walked four blocks from her apartment to the nearest electronics shop without being noticed. It did help that an average person does not worship a musician. If she were an actress, then it would have been a different story.

En route back, the same, peaceful public appearance occurred. The adrenalin pumping in her veins caused her to be hyper vigilant but she arrived on her street unscathed.

Her safety, though, ended as she crossed.

Right in front of her, a man who was staring back at Temari, stood right in front of her apartment building's entrance. He wore a heavy, gray, woolen, hoodie and baggy pants. The whole of his face was covered by a face mask, except for his eyes which were intently looking at her. Temari stared back at him, narrowing her eyelids to focus at the suspicious man. He was about ten paces away from her.

'There is an entrance in the back of the building.' She thought.

She had stared too long at the man and because of her mental shock, he was closing in on her.

Her way only way out is to run around the block and lose him at the sharp turn.

Confident with her athleticism, Temari sprinted straight towards the edge without looking behind but as she made her turn, another similarly dressed man was expecting her in the _back entrance_. Yet he was much smaller than the man who was currently running after her. She was confident that she can put up a fight but… she is disadvantaged because there were two of them.

The building next to where her apartment was, its lobby was open to the public. She then, pretended to continue running towards her apartment's other entrance.

The nearest civilian in the area was two hundred meters away from where they were. Thus, asking for help was not part of her options.

The events happened quickly, all Temari need to do is to act instinctively.

The man behind her screamed, "THAT'S HER!"

…but it was too late…

Temari had already entered the building beside her apartment. There were no security personnel guarding the entrances but for the shops in the upper floors did. Temari could hide in many spots there but what she needed was an escape route since the shorter man was three or four steps away from her. As a result she decided to climb up to the third floor which had numerous second-hand stores.

She remained focused. The distance between them was consistent which she was grateful of. Actually, now that Temari had not entered her apartment's confines, another idea sprung in her mind.

'I can try to find out who they are.'

Temari arrived on the third floor, hugging her printer. In a moderately crowded place, people would notice that she is being pursued by suspicious men. She threw her glasses away so that people can recognize who she is. But as she ascended through the staircase, the man grabbed her left leg and she fell face down. Her focus was thrown off but upon feeling the pain, Temari returned to her senses quickly.

As the man attempted to pin her to the ground, Temari kicked his left knee, causing him to fall down the staircase. Although she had incapacitated the shorter one, the taller perpetrator caught up with his partner while Temari was still getting up.

Her options were limited. Temari _had to fight_ if she wanted to know who these men are.

Observing her surroundings, an idea materialized when she saw the fire extinguisher. She destroyed the glass casing, took the extinguisher, pulled out the pin and squeezed the nozzle as both men were nearing. Even if they were wearing face masks, the narrow staircase and airtight shut windows and doors of the fire escape, would compress the gas. As calculated, the men's eyes were irritated by the gas, in such density also, they would be forced to inhale even if their noses and mouth are covered.

The artist did not end there. The gas was simply a _diversion._ Temari, on record, can hold her breath up to thirty seconds while jogging. It was part of her training routine to strengthen her breath control.

She stopped inhaling when the gas began spreading to where she was. When the men were beginning to be confused, she hit the head nearer to her with the canister causing him to lose balance. She also did the same to the other man. To make sure, she hit them one more time each.

Temari was beginning to feel suffocated. She quickly took out whatever she could grab from their pockets.

To her surprise they did not put up much of a resistance as she robbed them off their things.

As she was losing her breath, Temari ran upstairs, with the blokes' possessions, and picked up the portable printer's box. She then, walked passed through the stalls, went down the building through the elevator and returned to her apartment.

As she closed the door, she slumped on her floor and began laughing.

Whoever is after her, the mastermind hired complete amateurs since _she got IDs_ from both of them.

She was too pumped to do mundane tasks such as watching television or taking a shower. To keep her head off the incident, the artist, instead, spent her time to reexamine her wardrobe to come up with a new disguise persona.

* * *

The next morning, Sabaku Temari left her apartment and drove to the studio as if nothing happened. Aside from her main door, she had also locked her bedroom for extra precaution. For that day Kamatari was schedule to have a two-hour rehearsal. So, she had the rest of the day to run her 'errands'.

The evening before, she had requested Gaara to make her a new dummy email address. Likewise, she changed all the security settings for her social media accounts. For the remainder of the afternoon, Temari will be using the time to avail of a phone subscription that she would use as her 'secure line' and to pay all her existing debts and to cancel all her credit cards.

While fulfilling her tasks, Temari gave herself time to think if she would avail of the strategic consultant's services or not. The rational part of her was encouraging her to do so because he had a much better inference than her. To begin with, Temari did not even have a single inference on her curious case.

After much thought and consideration, Temari _finally_ called Shikamaru in a payphone.

 _Ring. Ring._

"It's Li Fan."

"Great. I was just about to call you. What made you call?" He replied.

"Can you meet me later?"

"Actually—hold on for a second," Muffled speech of Shikamaru and another girl could be heard from the other line. Based on the high-pitched tone, it had to be Ino. After being verbally beaten up by the girl, Shikamaru returned on the line. "Sorry… It's Ino. We were thinking of inviting you to our birthday party… you know… so maybe we could just head there instead of going somewhere…" He wheezed through the phone. "…else."

"If you don't mind talking about _work_ during your celebration."

He gurgled. "Yeah of course. I guess… Of course I can't. We _can't,_ actually. Yeah. You're right. I understand. Whereto?"

She sighed when he began spouting nonsense. "Do you have a car?"

"Yeah?" He said in a rising intonation.

Confused his choice of word and tone, Temari complained, "I don't get you."

"I meant _I do_ have a car but what would I need for?" He elaborated.

"Where I am right now might be a bit far from your area, that's why I asked you if you have a car. I'm currently in the Shopping Complex. Maybe we can meet at around six in the evening. Perhaps we can in a bookstore. I can pay for your cab fare if you don't want to drive."

"I don't mind driving."

"You said that." Temari had been completely cautious since the first parcel had arrived at her doorstep. There was a chance that her conversation with Nara Shikamaru would be recorded. "Don't forget; 6 pm."

"Okay. See you there, Fan."

"See you Mido." Mido, short for Midori*. She had considered calling him Namakemono** since he was lazy but it was an obvious code name. When Gaara was still in High School, Shikamaru usually wore green tee shirts with varying printed designs. For this reason, she had associated the color with the lanky man. After reconsidering the codename, she supposed it suited him.

* * *

Temari was running out of things to do while waiting for Shikamaru. Thankful that there were not much people even though it was a Saturday, she took the time to buy one set of security cameras and a couple of pepper sprays which she would carry with her everywhere.

She had identified the spiky ponytail immediately. His height was also another reason as he towered most bookworms. She approached him, he turned her way, saving her the effort of greeting him.

Temari discussed what had happened to her briefly and itemized the things she was planning to do. He agreed with her decisions to settle all her existing obligations such as loans and subscriptions. Unsure about moving out of her apartment, the consultant convinced her to go through with it.

"But there's a catch; it might be too costly for you." He had almost forgotten to factor in expenses. They were sitting on one of the coffee tables around in the reading area of the empty bookstore.

"If it would give me peace of mind, I would spend all my money on it." Temari chuckled. She realized if what she said would come true, she'd do anything to take it back. "Not all of it, though. I would spend _a lot_ on it."

"I can't imagine how much money you guys are worth." He reacted.

"I'm sure you have an idea." Temari knew that Shikamaru's family had assets attached to their name. He was not one to brag about his family's heritage. Because of this trait of his, he usually gets too impressed by lavish wealth displays. She noticed that something was still fretting him and Temari was quite aware of what it was. "I guess you're thinking along the lines of making my move a secret."

"Yes, but you have to inform some people for your security. Also, even after you move, you have to make it appear that you still live in your current apartment… perhaps leaving the lights on during the evening. Actually, it would be better to act oblivious to it... No, that would be odd..."

"Are you thinking along the lines that I should act aware due to the recent attack but I should not look like I'm doing some sort of counterattack.

"Yeah, that's exactly... what I wanted to say." Shikamaru nodded reluctantly. "Taking the package is a must. That way, we can find out how much this guy knows."

"You don't to say it in much detail." She bit back at him. Of course, Temari would keep claiming and scrutinizing the daily package until she catches the mastermind.

Seeing that he began scratching his head, she was reminded that she has to refrain from being hard on him. After all, _Nara Shikamaru_ is doing her a favor.

"Sorry." She said silently. Out of habit, Temari would usually roll her to convey to the person that her apology is earned by merit and not anything else but she stopped herself from doing so. Thus, she said a random comment to make him comfortable. "It would be _marvelous_ to turn that apartment to a storage room... So much for eight thousand."

"Your apartment costs eight thousand?!" Certainly surprised, Shikamaru's eyes widened and his voice, higher.

"What's the big deal about it?"

"I only spend roughly five thousand ryo a month to survive and you're spending eight thousand just for… _a roof._ "

"I chose that apartment because the location is convenient and it's soundproofing is good. If I was simply looking for a roof, a college dorm would suffice." Temari justified. "But now, that would be the least of my priorities."

"Is that all you called me for?"

"Hmm?" The artist was not quite sure what he was pertaining to.

"About you moving?"

"It is one of the reasons I asked to speak with you. You gave me guarantee that what I've been doing so far _is_ correct."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, _that is_ all." She glared at him. "Do you think it's a small deal?"

"No… that's not it… What I meant was… you could've called me over the phone… but you didn't since you probably thought that over and since you're always right, you called me on a payphone for a face to face meeting instead."

She had been seeing a highly expressive Shikamaru but he _never_ rambled because it required all the lazy man's power. For the first time in a long while, Temari cracked up. Her stifled laughter caught the attention of a few stoic readers.

"What happened? Why… are you… laughing?" Shikamaru asked with much perplexity. Temari was aware that he considered her as an arrogant, self-centered, spoiled, and sadistic, foreign noble. Seeing her lose it because he rebuffed her does not suit her cruel character, except Sabaku Temari was not being mean at him; in fact, she was amused of the quirk.

"You actually voiced out your actual thoughts. That does not happen every day." Temari cocked her eyebrows.

"Wh—"

"Were you about to say something?"

"It's nothing…"

"Say it. Gosh, it feels like I just had this conversation with you recently." She remembered that for her past three encounters with the epitome of sloth, there was always a time when Shikamaru would stop saying whatever he has to, a moment when she would ask if he has something to say to which he would answer 'It's nothing'.

"I thought you didn't want me to get involved too much. You could have gone to the cops, you know."

"Going to the cops _is_ press material. I'm not even sure if this is orchestrated by somebody from the press to have a story to write about." Temari said flatly. "Besides, you're the only person I know who is smarter than me." Even though he was a genius, he could be slow to absorb ordinary sentences. "Whenever I encounter trouble, I usually find a way to deal with it. Apparently, I am in the dark in this mess and the only person who made some sense in this riddle was you. It reminds me of how you defeated me in that match."

"That was a long time ago. But you won, didn't you?"

"You folded because you wanted to play video games." Temari recalled fondly.

"I won during the rematch though. Trust me, it was the hardest game I ever had. Your strategy that time was very flexible. I had a tough time cracking it."

"I prepared that especially for you. But I can't outla—"

"Sorry." Shikamaru took out his phone from his front pocket. He puckered upon seeing the caller.

"Yes Ino?"

Temari could hear a chipmunk voice. It was tempting to laugh at it but it was too mundane to do so.

"You can start having beer pong without me because I'm on official business _right now._ "

Phone whirs.

"Geez… She's right here in front of me. I'm not making excuses."

Phone whirs.

"You want to talk to her? Impossible. Unlike you, I'm not forgetting that she's pretty famous. Her manager is practically gawking over everyone. No... I'm _not an_ exception."

Phone whirs.

"Around seven."

Phone whirs.

"I'm sorry. That's th—"

Phone whirs.

"I can't pass my phone to her." He said in a commanding tone. "You can interrogate her all you want later, but not now."

Phone whirs.

"Yeah…yeah. I'll turn it off."

Shikamaru sighs.

"I can't imagine how you deal with her." Temari remarked.

"She has been saying the same thing about you for years—" Realizing how his words might be perceived by Temari, he followed it up. "What I meant was…"

"Why do you keep explaining yourself? There's nothing wrong with what you said."

* * *

Temari wanted the ground to swallow her whole and erase any remnant of her existence the moment she entered the outdoor bar's entrance. The well-lit open area was full of people she had met at least once during her stay in Leaf City. Most of them were part of Gaara's circle in the Fire Counrty.

There was no mistake; all of them were there _including_ the person she was involved in.

Arriving later than Shikamaru was careful planning credited to both minds. But it won't save her petty lie.

If it was not because of 'the stupid party', she would have had lesser things to worry about. When she saw Shino stiffen up upon seeing her, Temari forgot about the men who ran after twenty four hours ago. Apologizing up front while the act is in play would spell her guilt before Shino and rouse questions from others. Although she could have mitigated the budding strain, she does not have the humility to come out clean.

Moments later, Temari was already accustomed to the idea that he would be upset of her.

She walked past him, as if he was only an acquaintance and headed at the next table to greet Ino. Kiba almost reacted but he bit himself back upon remembering that she was _the Temari_ who reintroduced punk in mainstream music. Other than Shino, Kiba and Temari, there was nobody else in the place who knew that they were currently an item.

Every step she took was tantamount to one pebble added to her growing burden.

"Happy birthday Ino." She handed a small bouquet of pear blossoms.

She shrieked upon seeing the flowers. "Thank you Temari! Do you know how much it costs to have these delivered from the Wind Country?!" The blonde turned her head sharply at Shikamaru and Choji. "You blockheads should learn a thing or two from Temari! You two have been giving me buffet passes _for the three of us_ for my past ten birthdays!"

In truth, Temari did not have them imported. She simply chose a flower that symbolized friendship without perturbing about the price tag. All she did was walk in the fanciest flower shop she had seen in her entire life and asked assistance.

"Pear blossoms cost two thousand ryo a piece. I can't imagine how much a bouquet would be priced." Choji explained.

"If you spent less on your food this week you could've saved up enough for something else!" Ino screamed right at his ear.

"By the way Temari…" She leaned forward to the other girl's ear. "Did you really have a meeting with Shikamaru?"

"Yeah. I overheard him speaking to somebody who could only be you."

"Great!"

Temari excused herself when she felt that the group, Ino-Shika-Cho, was having one of its moments.

Actually, she found that she was a black sheep in the gathering. Sakura was nagging Naruto in the same fashion as Ino, Kiba was speaking to Hinata, Lee was trying to win over Neji's attention, Tenten was giggling with a girl whom Temari does not know by name, Sasuke was drinking silently beside Sai who is much paler than usual, and Shino was nowhere in sight.

Of course he would retract. Unlike her, he had sensitivities.

Temari admitted that because of her idiocy, she is now faced with the choice of staying put or running after him.

After catching with the rest of the girls, Temari greeted Ino again before leaving. She actually forgot to greet Shikamaru, remembering it only when she had already boarded the cab.

An email seemed impersonal especially after he adjusted his schedule only to hear her woes. Hence, Temari called him up.

 _Ring. Ring._

"Hi, who's calling?" He said.

"Hey, Nara. It's me."

"Oh… New number?"

"Yeah." She did not know how to greet him. Dragging on the silence did not help.

"So, why did you call?" Shikamaru finally said.

"Happy birthday."

"Oh. Thanks."

She ended the call.

The thought of calling or texting Shino drifted in and out of her head. Mustering up the dedication to approach him made Temari brush the idea off. It was clear that the last day of September will introduce new things in her life.

* * *

Temari was confident of her abilities, but in terms of parleys, she considers herself as a master. In just one day, she had inked a lease for a new unit located near suburban Leaf City. Finding a roommate was much tougher, but after grousing to Kankuro about it, he recommended an unexpected person.

She appreciated Shino's offer to stay at his place until the chaos died out. Temari refused him with the she's sure she would leave her apartment for good. Acquiring a new lease while maintaining the 'cursed apartment' would be uneconomical. For this reason, she agreed to share a unit with Kamizuru Kurotsuchi. The Earth Country native has decided to continue her internship and resume her studies in Konoha University as a foreign exchange student which spelled living frugally until she graduates.

There are a lot of upsides in having a roomie. The best advantage Temari could think of was in terms of food. Her co-tenant proposed to prepare food for breakfast and dinner to save on money since living college student's allowance is synonymous to being penniless. Temari would not mind sharing more money on rent and food but she respected Kurotsuchi's decision. For the time being, the artist would have a reason to avoid carelessly buying takeaway or a sandwich on the go.

Sharing a suite with _somebody else_ other than her brothers never crossed Temari's mind. It became endurable since she will be living with a person she trusts. Before they transferred, Temari had personally installed security cameras and alarms on the main entrance and the balcony which were linked to her personal laptop and mobile phone. Going through the effort was necessary to keep her paranoia at bay.

Temari kept her transferring a secret to everyone she was working with, even Guren and Kakashi. The only people who knew about it were her parents, Kankuro, Gaara, Shino, Kurotsuchi and the man who convinced her to continue, Shikamaru.

A couple of days after she had spoken with Shikamaru, Temari settled in the new unit. She only had rehearsals during the afternoon, thus leaving the whole morning for her to do preliminary arrangements. Kurotsuchi would move in on the weekend. The artist only brought her clothes, guitars, other musical equipment, laptop, and a safe, which housed a pistol and a Swiss knife. It was a gift from her father and licensed under her name. Decorating was a waste of time and money. The girls have availed of a semi-furnished unit for that purpose. Using her car was out of the question. It would get suspicious if her good old car is parked in her hideout apartment.

Every day, Temari arrived in her old apartment at six in the evening. The package would be right in front of her doorstep. According to the apartment's security that had finally made the effort to keep tabs on it after the nth time of complaining about the mess, it was always a different courier or food delivery that would transport something in the 10th floor. The time was also irregular but it happened in between nine in the morning and five in the afternoon. It was consistent with her footage, but it was _not_ giving her any leads.

She didn't know what to do with the ID cards of her assailants. Going to the cops or availing of a private detective would stir attention, unless she has somebody else handle proxy for her. All she needs, for the meantime, is to know the identity of these men.

While thinking about dinner, Temari dialed Shikamaru's number on October's first Thursday. In two rings, he answered.

"'Sup?" He greeted her.

His opening slightly irritated her, but she did not have the luxury to scold him about manners. "We need to talk about something. Maybe we could go to Johnny's."

"You know I can't get in there."

Johnny's is a private bar with an out-of-this-world one-time membership fee. Knowing Shikamaru and his distaste for the material, he would be indifferent of it.

"I'll take care of it." Temari exhaled. "Meet me in Lucas Street".

"Aren't commoners banned there?"

"There's an Ichiraku branch there, for your information."

"It was a joke." He said. "I'll be there in a jiffy."

* * *

Temari waited impatiently for Shikamaru in Ichiraku. She kept on tapping the hard surface of the table to keep the waitress from taking her order. But it was not completely Sabaku Temari's bossy deportment that distanced the young and timid waitress, rather; it was the combination of her pants suit and demeanor.

She paid a visit to a suit tailor and had purchased two sets of suits from the ready-made line and had one custom-tailored. Afterwards, she had a dilemma in choosing which pair of pumps she would buy. In the end, she ended up buying one classic Ralph Lauren pair.

Even though she walked in the rush hour streets of Leaf City, nobody recognized her but she gathered attention. Just the right amount to avoid suspecting that she was wearing a disguise. She did not drop the thick-rimmed glasses from her arsenal, but he placed her hair in a tight bun.

Even Shikamaru had second thoughts in approaching her since he took a step back when he was about to sit on the opposite end of the table.

"You're late." The artist snarled.

"I had a tough time finding a cab." Shikamaru stretched his back. "You look the part."

"This?" Temari pointed at her blazer.

"Yeah." He said. "It works better."

Temari smiled at the nervous waitress. "Sorry to have kept you waiting. My friend here got lost. Two small bowls of Konoha-style Ramen."

"—you didn't have to." Shikamaru said.

"We have a long night ahead and you look famished." Temari snapped back at him.

"Anything else ma'am?" The waitress asked.

"Not anymore. Thanks." Temari smiled again at the girl to keep her calmer.

Shikamaru unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt. "So why'd you call me?"

"I did not tell you last Saturday that I was chased by two men last Friday."

He looked around before reacting. "WHAT?! You have to call the cops right at this very moment—"

"No… I can't go to the cops because something worse would happen. Please understand that I cannot tell you the reason. Anyway, I managed to deal with them and I got both their IDs." Temari took them out from her jacket pocket. "Try feeling them."

"Looks legit to me."

"That makes two of us." Temari took the IDs back. "This is where you come in. Do you know anybody in this city who can find the identity of these two men?"

The young man shook his head in disbelief. "I'm a consultant, Temari." Shikamaru disputed. "Whatever you want me to do is the work of a policeman."

"Says the son of a _former_ Defense Minister."

"That was five, ten years ago." He scoffed.

"The last time I checked, your father is still in active service, not as a Minister though, but as a lawyer." Temari leaned forward and said in a much softer voice.

"You're making things harder than they are. I cannot do what you are asking of me. What you're saying... is illegal."

 **"I need your help…Please."** She said firmly in a shaky voice. The slight display of emotion from Temari startled Shikamaru. "I'll give you whatever you want, just help me. You don't need to do the dirty work. All I need is a contact per—"

"I'll do it on one condition."

"Which is?"

"If things get out of hand, you have to go to the cops."

Temari exhaled through her mouth. "We can talk about it when the situation arises."

"Fair enough."

"That's one of three items done for tonight." Temari said.

"There's a second and a third reason why you asked me to come here with you?"

"I said that we're going to Johnny's remember?"

"So you were serious about it."

"I also hid another thing from you."

"Of course." He scoffed.

"Before you told me about Captio and Reza knowing my real name, some recordings of an unreleased song were leaked online."

His eyes widened for a bit.

"Please let me finish first, I know you want to say something." She warned him, which he took without making the effort of reacting. "One of the interns in the tech division of Roadhouse Studios is an underground hacker who goes by the pseudonym Udon. After speaking with him a couple of times, he ended helping me out by tapping into the security footage of the building. Tonight, he will be giving me the drive containing these files in Johnny's."

"Are you sure this hacker guy is safe to deal with?"

"Yeah." Temari gave slight smirk. "It was Gaara who took care of the arrangement. I never met him face to face; we only spoke through the web. I've sent him five thousand ryo as a down payment, and tonight…" Temari handed Shikamaru a covered, hardbound copy of 'The Tales of a Gutsy Ninja'. "Another five thousand."

"Did you stuff the check in the book's pages?" Shikamaru said.

"No, the cash is _inside the book._ "

"What a waste of copy."

"I have an extra copy; you can have it if you want."

"I'll just borrow it. Anyway, will the bar's security detect the cash?"

"No." Temari pointed at the briefcase that was on the seat beside her. "You will carry that book with this briefcase which has some cash in it. I'm sure the sensor would get confused since it has some cash in it."

"Why are you carrying cash in a briefcase for?"

"We'll spend it all tonight."

"Johnny's is a bar…"

"With pachinko and slot machines." Temari said. "We'll play for a bit. Udon will be at the lounge area at eleven, so we have a couple of hours to waste until we make the exchange."

"Time for my third favor." Temari rolled her eyes. "After this exchange with Udon, we'll have a clue about who took the leaked demos in Studio C. It may give us more leads or it may be a dead end. That's where your head will be properly used." Temari sighed. As much as it torments her to admit that before her is a natural genius, she had to broadcast it to Shikamaru so he would feel the responsibility. "Last time, you assisted me in validating my decisions. I sought your… intelligence because I was freaking out that time. When I moved out, my head was unusually clearer that's why I was able to think of some plan but beyond this exchange with mister hacker and researching about these two men, I am lost in the Leaf City." She grinned.

Shikamaru stood up. "I need a moment."

"Sure." Temari was aware of what he would do.

Shikamaru crouched on his chair and positioned all his fingers against each finger's corresponding fingertips with eyes closed. Whenever they played chess, she would always force him to think in his comforting stance. Ino have told her Shikamaru never does that position unless he was a formidable opponent.

After a minute, his eyes revealed a determined set of eyes.

"Let's meet Udon."

* * *

The duo became too engrossed in earning chips while waiting for the mystery hacker. The combination Shikamaru's uncanny ability to see through patterns and Temari's deductive skills, they figured out how to win over the machines through their unique approaches in thinking.

Although, Temari's alarm reminded her of their responsibility.

"Time's up, Mido." Temari said. "All you need to do is to hold book. It will serve as Udon's cue to approach you."

The young man took the book and the briefcase along with.

"I won't take long." Shikamaru said.

He left the gaming room.

But she followed him to the lounge.

She stood by one of the standing tables and watched Shikamaru from a distance. Apparently, Udon is an average-height, lanky teenager with a bad case of colds. He seemed to have come alone. Upon receiving the book, he bowed to Shikamaru and left immediately.

She followed the young hacker to the exit and he saw him waiting for a cab, closely tailing him.

"Excuse me…" Temari asked.

"Yes... ma'am!"

"Do you have loose change for a thousand ryo?" Temari asked politely.

"Yes." Awkwardly, he rummaged his pockets to give her one five-hundred ryo bill and five one-hundred ryo bills. "Here you go...maám..."

Temari laughed while they exchange bills. "You really don't recognize me, do you?"

After much scrutiny, Udon gasped in disbelief. "You—you—"

"Don't say it out loud." Temari smiled. "If ever we bump into each other in the corridor, let's act friendly. If people ask, you can say that we have mutual friends."

"…okay."

"By the way," Temari said silently, almost mouthing the words, "we might be contacting you soon."

To maintain her cover, she bought a candy from the street vendor just around the entrance of Johnny's. She wondered how come a classy street had a street vendor.

When she returned to the pachinko machine, she saw a frowning Shikamaru.

"Where did you go?"

"I spoke with Udon. Gave him a bit of a pep talk."

"I thought you were taken somewhere."

"I can take care of myself pretty well. Maybe even better than you."

He took out a cigarette and lit it. "Don't act too rashly. I know, you were just checking the guy out, but the next time you do something like that, tell me, will you?"

"My bad." Temari sat beside him. "I was too childish earlier…and too risky. You might be surprised but I actually enjoyed to walk through a street unrecognized without looking sloppy... Perhaps that's why I even thought of the idea of asking Udon for some change and buying a candy from the vendor."

"I can't blame you. Everybody would go crazy if somebody identifies you every ten seconds." Shikamaru said. "Should we head out?"

"We can play for one more round." She said cheekily.

* * *

* Midori – Japanese for 'green'

** Namakemono – Japanese for 'lazy'


	15. Track 7 - Nights

A/N: Hi guys! I apologize for the delay in updating. This chapter was ready as early as two or three weeks ago but my recent preoccupation i.e. binge watching Narcos, Ajin, and Samurai 7, ate my term break.

PS. I really can't thank you guys enough for reading! :)

* * *

 **Track 7 – Nights**

The overdue confrontation Temari had been meaning to initiate did not happen anymore since it was Shino who offered to have a talk over breakfast the Friday after.

As soon as the pair ordered the cheapest coffee found in the menu, Shino drove in straight to the point of their face to face meeting. Neither of them praticed small talk. Expectant of a statement, Temari prepared herself.

"We need to talk." Shino said coolly.

She was expecting it. As a matter of fact, she had considered everything about them to be finished when she did not resolve the mess of the previous Saturday.

"Yes... Let's." She was relieved. In truth, Temari was terrified that he would be the one to call it off. She believed that Shino did not deserve to go through that. "I've been waiting for the right moment to apologize for last Saturday properly."

"You had already." He said.

She reiterated. "No… It runs deeper than a… petty appearance in a party. I lied to you about my manager telling me to keep a low profile for a while." She laughed, lightly shaking her head to avoid the pair of eyes looking intently at in spite of being obscured. "I lied to you about not being able to meet you because I had meetings, impromptu studio sessions in the past two or three weeks. I—I can't even actually remember when I've been avoiding you. I'm sorry…" She lowered her head, terrified to see his reactions.

"You didn't have to say it out loud; I already knew it."

Temari chuckled. "It's _obvious_ that I don't look like somebody who is in studio arrest."

Shino said. "I think we should end this. It seems to me that we rushed things."

 _There it is._ Temari thought. Again, somebody else acted on her decision.

"My thoughts too." Temari said. "I will understand perfectly if you want to curse me."

"No." Shino said. "We're both at fault in this." He continued. "I would have made you a death wish if I was hopelessly dedicated to you... but I'm not." A slight smile was made on his face.

Surprised with what he said, Temari covered her mouth to hide her giggling.

Moments later, Aburame Shino and Sabaku Temari stood side by side on the stop. He was to board a bus while she is waiting for a cab.

"Shino."

"Hm?"

"Tell me you were not lying when you said you're not hopelessly dedicated to me."

"I would not have said that if it wasn't true. Why? Because I would only fool myself."

"You won't stop inviting me whenever you have gigs, would you?"

"The closest date would be two months from now." Shino said. "I have not told you this but Kiba was right about Kabuto. Now, our band is currently on hiatus. No gigs, just lots of practice and time for songwriting."

"How are you holding up now?"

"We're trying to glue together. The chemistry is there, we just don't have the right mix of priorities and ideas." He said. "I would be expecting advance copies of your album too."

"That's already part of the plan."

"See you." Temari said as he boarded the bus.

Before taking one more step on the platform, he looked back. "Temari, I hope that this won't affect us."

"Trust me, I'm a better fri…" The door closed but Shino followed her. "..end than a..."

The bus began to move away but it took a second or two to realize that Shino was not able to hear her anymore.

"I'M SORRY!" She screamed at him and they could vividly see each other smiling like two people starting on a clean slate.

The amicable breakup with Shino gave her a huge sense of relief but at the same time, she felt apologetic to him because since they started out as friends with common interests. She was sure that she had hurt him because she lied to him but Shino must have taken it as a situational decision. If they were not dating, Temari would not have lied to her in the first place. Perhaps, her only regret then was to assume that it was romance at the beginning.

Temari had not known until then that she had forced herself to like people whom she shared interests with. Her fault started with the silly idea of assuming that a _hobby_ is the key to her heart.

* * *

Half an hour later, she is scheduled to be present for a meeting held in Shinobi Records. Unlike the music production of her EP, the team is having an especially tough time in coming up with the visuals for the album and the rest of the promotional materials.

Guren, donning her regular businesswoman attire, led her in the half full, conference room. Temari had wanted to arrive late. Coming in the building at the exact time the meeting would start is already late by her standards. She had null intentions of paying attention to that day's agenda but her luck was running out; now she has to patiently wait for the design team known to be the tardiest.

The team arrived at a quarter before ten, thirty minutes beyond the call time. The team leader, Ebisu, simply walked in, without a care and presented the work which drew inspiration from Temari's country of origin. The spread contained images of the Wind Country's unique topography of minimalist desert meets the sea picturesque view. The sharp contrast between deep sandy hues and bright cerulean waters were eye catchy but incoherent with the rest of the angst and energy ridden album.

Her attention was all over the place except for the agenda. She was looking forward to return to either of her apartments, and from how the meeting is progression, it's far from seeing the light. In fact, even Temari was lost in the middle of it. All she knew, however, was that the photos _were_ ridiculous.

"The images _look_ great." Temari said, catching the attention of Kakashi who was in the middle of summarizing things. Like her, the A &R (Kakashi) disliked wordy gatherings and preferred getting straight to the point rather than having pointless, lengthy discussions. "Maybe the design team can tweak the colors or something. I'm not much of a visual artist but maybe adding some filter can create the theme some people here want to convey." She glanced at her aggressive manager.

"But…" One of the designers, who has been very defensive about the proposed album sleeve, uttered.

"Let me rephrase everything that I said. The images itself _are_ alright but it doesn't match the album's concept. If you don't want to change it, let me, ask you a question…" she leaned forward to meet the eyes of the now, edgy, designer. "Are we selling these graphics or my music?"

Nobody reacted; not even Kakashi or Guren who were used to seeing her slam on her colleagues faces. Unsure if it was caused by shock from the sharp words or general distaste of her straightness, Temari exhaled while standing up. "I'm done here. I'm looking forward to see progress on Tuesday. See you then."

She walked briskly towards the door without a care. After all, she needed an extra two hours of sleep at any rate. She had arrived home at one in the morning because of the excitement Temari and Shikamaru had from having mostly, favorable runs. From her rough approximation, their profits reached twenty percent at a minimum. But she did not sleep upon arriving. She began watching the security videos and could only managed to complete one day in fast-forward.

"Tem." Guren called her out.

Pretending not to have heard her manager, she continued marching down the empty corridors.

"TE-MA-RI." This time, Guren said her syllabically.

The artist is not angry at Guren because of her current situation but she was terrified that she might lash out at the blue-haired woman.

 _'Everything will be fine.'_ She told herself.

She turned around to look at Guren.

"How are you?" The manager caught up to her. "You seemed disengaged earlier."

"Yeah… I couldn't help it. I went out last night with a friend and ended up staying up 'til the morning." She alibied. "I could sit through all their BS if my head isn't hurting."

"Tell me if you need anything."

"Nothing really." To coax the unconvinced lady, Temari had to say more. "Knocking some sense into the design people would be great though."

"Trust me, they're much better than what others deal with. Although, their designs really are pathetic."

"It's a first for you to commend people for their attitude" Temari commented. "Well, if that's the case, I guess I can be considered lucky. It would be much more stressful to deal with an arrogant but skilled people." She was willing to do anything to get out of her predicament even hitting her head against the wall at the back of her mind. Luck was not on her side. Perhaps, it was even fate that was running the wheels against her.

"You're done for the day, unless you want to lock yourself in the studio to write songs." Guren said.

"As if." Temari said. "What I need is a good helping of sleep. I'll see you on Monday."

"Sure." Guren followed up. "Don't forget that we will leave for the Wind Country next week."

"Yeah."

 _As if_ she could forget her first chance to stay in the Wind Country for a week. Taking a break in the middle of production sessions is unsightly for an artist.

* * *

She did not bother to bring her car because she was in no state to drive and it was too much of a hassle to go to the old apartment from the new apartment before heading to the breakfast bar, and then to Shinobi Records' Tower. While a bit unsure if she would head straight to the new apartment, Temari decided that she should stay first in the old apartment to do some investigation before returning to the new apartment for the evening.

But the moment she closed the door, her eyes began to droop. Before addressing her lack of sleep, Temari made a copy of Udon's drives to an empty external drive for Shikamaru. Waiting for 200 gigabytes of videos to finish copying would drive her nuts, so she left her laptop to continue transferring.

Before knowing it, Temari entered deep slumber.

* * *

The sound of her phone ringing woke her up. She immediately reached for the noisy object and answered the call without looking at the caller.

"Yeah?"

"It's my fourth call..." His voice sounded a bit hoarse. "Temari?"

"Yeah... Gaara..." She said with her eyes still closed.

"Did I wake you...?" The redhead knew perfectly if Temari had just woke up, she would barely answer to anything you say.

"It's fine. I was just…uhm... napping." Temari sat on her bed, fighting the urge to lay down and return to sleep. "Why did you call all of a sudden? F-Y-I, I got the package from Udon..."

"I got some stuff to tell you... and you told me that earlier this morning." Gaara said. "About you meeting up with Udon."

"Oh… I forgot." Temari said. "So why'd you call?"

Gaara chuckled. It is rare to hear Temari say things twice as a mistake. "I thought it would be proper to inform you that Kankuro and I are being followed around."

"What?!" Her alertness escalated quickly.

"The first time was the day when I picked him up from the airport… that was September 17. We brought the guy to the police and he kept on saying he was a freelance entertainment journalist. A week after, an entirely different guy was following me around campus. As for Kankuro, since he has not left the house except when going to work, he only had eyes whenever he's driving."

"Slow down… why didn't you tell me earlier?!"

"I tried calling you one time about it but it turns out it was the time when you removed your SIM card from your phone. Actually, I wouldn't have thought it could be related to you until you asked me to locate a hacker."

"But you told me you had our security people take care of it."

"I lied about that part. What we did was to report the guy to the police but something much worse happened." Gaara said.

" _He_ found out about the stalking thing. Idiots..."

"Bingo... because of the police record."

"Marvelous." Temari laid on the bed again. "Why did you report it to the police, anyway? You know nothing escapes the boss."

"Because we were too violent on the man. As a precaution, we reported his offense on us—"

"—before he would report you? _Great thinking._ It's better to have me bail you guys out rather our dear father to know about you and Kankuro having black and blue stalkers. Now, he would give me an earful about how public my choice of career is and how it's affecting the rest of your privacy."

"Nah… I think your job and what is happening to us are entirely different things. Nobody knows we are your siblings except people who know _us_ personally."

Temari wanted to tell Gaara that it was too coincidental for the packages and the photographer mess to happen at the same time. But Gaara would rebuff her because she does not have actual evidence. "Unless this guy knows us. For that, I cannot agree to your statement."

"The photographers are mere coincidence." Gaara said.

"If you're out of the Sand City." Temari said.

"People make mistakes sometimes. Catch you later."

He ended the call.

Now fully awake, the girl drank a glass of water before continuing today's agenda.

* * *

Temari went to check her laptop and saw that the transfer was completed an hour after she started it. She resumed watching it from where she left off, the start of August 2. Since it was a Monday, Temari had expected a maintenance person to enter first but the first person in the vicinity of Studio C was none other than herself. She set her guitar, her Pacifica and routed directly out of her Orange Amp. Afterwards, she sat on the floor and began playing but on the background, she saw Aoba knocking on the glass panel. She paused it from there and pressed rewind. Aoba had entered the studio when Temari was setting her guitar. It appeared that the vocal sound engineer was looking for the CDs from the cabinet but had found it in the computer's DVD drive. He began knocking on the glass panel when he realized Temari was already there.

She stopped playing and took a blank sheet of paper. Placing the date as 'Aug 2 21', she scrapped the paper and took another sheet and replaced it as 'A221' to appear more confusing. She had written down her observations in bullet form.

From timestamp 08:12:47, Temari played the video until the day ended. Expecting to find more clues for August 3 to 5, she had poured all her attention to every little detail during her demo sessions but it was for naught; not a single thing surfaced for the first week of August except Aoba's misplaced CD.

She laughed at herself for forgetting a minor factor. The tapes she had been watching since last night _are_ CCTV footages take from the _inside_ of the studio. There is another folder which contains recordings from outside the studio.

She immediately opened the file for the 1st of August. If the girl remembers it concisely, maintenance people usually clean all studios in Roadhouse regardless if these are closed or open. Studio C is one of the few closed studios restricted only to Temari and the rest of her team except during Sundays. What she found odd was that the man simply turned the doorknobs _without_ doing anything else.

She immediately closed the video and played the next Sunday, August 8. She saw the same man opening the doorknob _with a key_. To validate if the man really did enter the place, she looked into the in-Studio recordings and had seen that two people had vacuum the whole of Studio C. She returned to the inside studio video for August 2 and had not seen a single soul enter the place.

 _Impossible._

While wondering, she headed to her fridge to find one granola bar to quieten her grumbling stomach. The wall clock read four-twenty. Recalling that a package is supposed to arrive before five, Temari placed two of her dinner table chairs right in front of the door for her to sit on and the other to place her laptop on to watch the live feed from the surveillance camera in the door's eyehole.

Every minute that passed, she grew more anxious since Temari hated _waiting_ for things that she had no control over.

A delivery man from a courier company happily placed a package right at her doorstep. Temari sighed upon seeing the worker since he is oblivious to the contents of the package. She waited for him to leave before getting the package.

Similar to how a young child would open a gift, Temari opened it with deleterious vigor only to see a small, rectangular, white piece of paper carrying a typewritten baffling message.

 _'Name._

 _Fame._

 _Blame._

 _Shame._

 _Frame._

 _Same'_

Her spine shivered at the coded message. Although, collectively, it did not mean anything, Temari saw two words that she knew that could be happening to her: Fame and Frame. She became famous recently. Now, she is dealing with a puzzle of a conspiracy wired against her, as if somebody is pitting for her misfortune... framing her, in other words.

She reread the note over and over again before posting it on the mind map. Feeling elated from her discovery, she considered the first day of October 2021 as a fruitful day for the case.

* * *

"Yo." He bobbed his head as he greeted her.

Somehow irked by the way he presented himself, Temari waved at him sharply. She shoved a copy of 'Tales of the Gutsy Ninja' to the man in a translucent bookstore bag.

"Swell." He said. "Now, I have something to keep me busy for the rest of the weekend." Shikamaru said.

"I included a 'note' inside it. All you need to do is to 'open' it and read some of my insights." Temari prayed that he would understand what she pertaining to.

"Sure. I hope you written it in actual words because all the notes you give me are in _binary._ "

 _'Perfect.'_ Temari smirked at him as a form of appreciation.

"So?" Shikamaru said.

"Let's take a walk."

"Where?"

"Around the city."

"It's raining." Shikamaru said.

She did not answer. Instead, the girl went out of the shaded area of the empty park.

"I found something off in the videos." Temari explained. "I don't know what kind of magic spell they did but they cut out a part of the video without any traces of it; there were no lags in it thanks to seamless editing."

"And because of that, you don't know which exact timestamp you need. Also, we need to have evidence that what Udon got is tampered."

"A yes and a yes."

"I'll work on it." Shikamaru said. "I was looking forward to a sit-down session."

"I didn't have anything else to do for the day that's why I began looking into it as soon as I got back from work. It also happened that the odd scenes happened during the first few days of the month."

He snickered.

"Why?"

"Damn lucky."

"I'm _not._ "

"It's as if the heavens are in favor of you."

She did not answer back.

"Aren't you unusually quiet today?" He asked.

"I think that's it for today." Temari said.

"I guess I'll keep tabs on my progress tomorrow…"

* * *

The next day, Temari had blocked the whole of her day to help Kurotsuchi in settling in the new apartment. She had a mover take care of carrying her things up the sixth floor. The slender girl is intelligent, and had a great aura to her. She could not imagine how she dealt with Kankuro.

"Temari!" She hugged the blonde. "How are you?"

"Definitely better than the last time." She said. "Are you sure that's all you'll be bringing with you?" Temari had seen only one luggage for clothes, a box housing a microwave oven, one box for all her shoes, some cooking ware and pillows.

"Yeah." She answered. "I do hope me being around you would be of help."

Temari sighed. "Of course, having someone lookout for me would be a huge help."

"I don't mean being rude but you're quite tough." Kurotsuchi said.

The girls lounged around the humble living area. The black-haired girl was impressed by the interior since her eyes moved around each fixture. Temari could relate well to her. Now that she had one less worry to think of, she began appreciating how Zen the new apartment is. "Advert is real for the first time." Kurotsuchi said.

"I've thought of the same thing when I first moved in." Temari said.

"I was a bit confused when you told me that you won't stay here for long." Kurotsuchi inquired

"Yeah…" Temari hummed. "After this… thing dies out, I'm thinking of moving somewhere else as a precaution. I suggest you do the same thing."

Kurotsuchi smirked. "We can talk about the tough stuff later. Kankuro told me your cooking is great." Kurotsuchi said. "Maybe we could prepare something today instead of eating out. "

* * *

It has been a while since Temari prepared a proper meal with such enjoyment. Most of the time, she found it too time-consuming and never appreciated the process. While doing the dishes, her phone kept on buzzing. She missed the first call and did not bother checking who the caller was.

Moments later, her phone vibrated once again. The caller was Shikamaru, if it was somebody else, she would have ignored it.

"Yeah." She said.

"I'm gonna take a while before I finish whatever it is I'm doing."

"We're not rushing."

"Actually, we should." Shikamaru said in an almost whispery voice. "Can you contact Udon again? It looks like we need him to sneak into the archives of Roadhouse to get the real footage."

"I'll try." Temari thought. "He's a hacker, he's not a ninja. I doubt that he's as sneaky in real life as he is online. The guy is a total loner."

"Do you know somebody else who can sneak in anywhere in that place?"

"I have someone in mind. What exactly did you find out?"

"The reason why the editing is seamless is because they cut it out during the still scenes."

"Still scenes?"

"When there's nothing happening. These cameras are steady and during Sundays, there is not a single soul who passes by Studio C except a few maintenance men which lasts for at most an hour. So, you have twenty three hours of the same scene, for every single Sunday."

"How did you figure that out?"

"Deductive reasoning."

"So there is no hard proof."

"There's a shot in August 29 where the time stamp changed from 27 seconds to 29 seconds and back at 27 seconds, in a millisecond. So I had a theory on how they did it. That's why I'm gonna take a while."

"How can I help?"

"Can you use image editing softwares?"

"Which kind?"

"Lightroom, Photoshop, among others."

Temari laughed at herself since she's not a visual person. "I'm bad at it. Sorry, I can't help you this time around."

"It's alright. You can take this time to rest." Shikamaru said. "I know this is wearing you out."

"Thank you."

"I guess… catch you later."

* * *

She immediately emailed Gaara and asked him about Udon. The timid hacker agreed to speak with Temari online in an encrypted chat program he coded himself.

She began typing. 'Hi Udon, its Blondie.'

'Hi. What's up?'

'The copies you gave me are tampered. Is there a way to get the originals?'

'If the copies from their database are already edited, there's a slim chance that the daily archived CDs are the original ones… unless they follow the ninety day storage rule. There's a chance that the real recordings are not yet deleted in the mainframe.'

He added.

'I've been there. The CCTV footage are written on the disk of one loaded computer. Physically copying it would take a while.'

'Can't we just copy the affected dates?'

'Not sure. If it's not encrypted, locating the files would be easy and the needed dates can be copied immediately.'

'If it is encrypted. What should be done?'

'Steal the archived CDs and the hard disk. LOL.'

He added.

'It's already October, the ninety day storage is ticking.'

'I know…' Temari typed. 'Do you know somebody who can get in and out of that place without being spotted?'

'From the studio?'

'Yeah.'

'None who can be trusted.'

Udon added.

'There's still a bit of time. You can think something up.'

'No… we'll get it this weekend.' Temari typed up quickly.

The idea crossed her mind and found it impossible. She would certainly drop the idea but there was somebody who can make her invisible from the heavily guarded studio. Seeing an opportunity that does not come by every day, Temari convinced herself to take the leap of faith. She has adequate combat training but had zero knowledge of infiltration.

They were not breaking in any Kage's office or her father's corporate tower. It was just a high-end studio with average security. Outwitting the sentries would not take a cent from her.

"I'll talk to you later.'

* * *

Before Temari proceeded, she needed consultation from the genius. She dialled Shikamaru's number right after chatting with Udon.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"I've spoken with Udon and it seems like we need to break-in ourselves."

"What?! Who in their right mind would trespass —"

"Scratch that. I will break in while you sit there and have tea –"

"Are you out of your mind?!"

"I'm gonna do it because we've got nobody else will do it for me." Temari headed to the balcony to keep Kurotsuchi from hearing her.

"No." He said. "There's a ninety-nine percent probability that you will be caught. Attention is the least of the things you should be attracting." His voice raised. Quite unlikely of him but he had been quite unpredictable lately.

"Got better ideas?"

"Have somebody else do it."

"I can't. Letting in more people adds more risk."

"It's something we need to take and precautions could be taken. How did you find Udon trustworthy anyway?"

"Gaara." She said. "He told me he has a bargaining chip against him. I'm not sure what. Other than the money, I think that's what's holding him in place."

"I can figure something out." He said.

"Sorry but we have to act now." Temari said strongly.

"Something happened?"

She slapped her forehead when she gave him a hint. Shikamaru was too perceptive. One bit of information allows him to construe the situation deeper. "Nothing."

"You're acting based on the plan but the way you are proceeding is too careless. This isn't like you." He said. "Tell me what happened."

"I did not receive any photos yesterday. Instead, I got a typewritten message which said... _'Name. Fame. Blame. Shame. Frame. Same_.'"

"Could be a clue..." He said.

"I have a bad feeling about the note. Now, if we can find an anything in the real footage, I would do anything to get my hands on that. And I have a feeling that time is not on our side." Temari said.

"It's up to you." He said.

* * *

Udon kept on staring at the unexpected companion for that Sunday's midnight skirmish since he was quite sure that Temari had explicitly stated that she would permeate the studio. They were completely ignored in the busy diner located a couple of blocks away from Roadhouse Studios.

"How did you know we'll be right here at this exact place?" Temari asked while checking the contents of the small messenger bag.

"I tailed you from your apartment." He said.

Her eyes widened. "You should have simply asked me. I could have mistook you as a psycho." Temari looked at her digital wristwatch and checked if the timer was reset.

"It was a last minute decision." Shikamaru caught the eyes of the awkward teen, who looked away upon eye contact.

"You did not let me in your plans tonight." He said.

"It's pretty basic." Temari said. "I enter the place and he takes care of the tech stuff."

"How about contingencies?"

"I can improvise." She said.

"I'll be on the lookout then."

"You're too suspicious." Temari said. "Any guy in a ponytail and slippers might be taken as a druggie."

"The studio is located in a busy street. Having a smoke there won't look like mission impossible." Shikamaru said.

"Do you have earphones with mic, just in case?" Temari asked.

"I do." Shikamaru nodded.

Temari said. "I was supposed to only listen for Udon's instructions."

"It's possible to include me in the call right?" Shikamaru asked.

"Ask him. It's supposed to be encrypted."

"Yeah. Won't take a minute." Udon began typing on the alienware laptop.

"What are we waiting for?" Shikamaru said.

"You should only get out of this place once I'm in the compound." She commanded.

"No effin way I'm gonna sit here when a woman would do all the work."

"Fucking chauvinist." Temari slammed the table and left the diner.

Her anger was out of place but she could not think of controlling the impulse of slamming the table. The display of anger was not because of the man but the situation. After all, she never saw herself doing something as petty as trespassing.

Entering the studio is easy. Leaving it would be much harder.

There were no gates that barricaded the high-end music studio. The parking lot was sparse but on zero hours every Sunday, the Garbage Collector would park at the rear building's side of the street to collect the area's garbage bins. Temari would use that as a diversion from the nonexistent security personnel on night duty.

Udon would take that moment to tap on the cameras, and guide Temari inside the building.

She waited by the rear entrance.

"Blondie, the truck is fast approaching." He said. "I've established the connection. Anytime you're ready, you're good to go."

"Got it." She said.

Temari took a few deep breaths before sprinting right through the entrance.


	16. Case 1: Clue

A/N: Hi all! I appreciate all the comments! I'll be working twice as hard now to keep things as interesting as it can be. For now, allow me to introduce the 'Case' chapters. :)

* * *

 **Case 1: Clue**

When Temari had entered the studio successfully, Shikamaru sent a straightforward text of 'Go' to Akimichi Choji who was waiting at the adjacent restaurant with burning eyes. He could imagine how Chouji functions when he is bribed with food…

rabid.

Choji always tags along with all of his requests. To date, Shikamaru only had two requests. The first one was chiefly influenced by Ino's rambling. The young man painfully remembered how his most trusted friend's company became loathsome as Chouji rehearsed him daily on how to talk with a certain foreigner who has been frequenting the Leaf City roughly two years ago. He initially wanted to ask Choji but Ino asked Choji to do it much earlier than he realized that he wanted to in the first place.

As much as he rues those moments, he had been silently thanking Choji and Ino every time he encounters the blond succubus since he can speak to her with less fretfulness than before. Although it did not help him on how to deal with her.

"Is everything in place?" Shikamaru asked Udon when he observed that the young hacker had been monitoring the actual feed on the left half of the screen and the tapped footage on the other for the past minute.

"Yeah… Just need lookouts." Udon said while wiping the forming liquid from his nose.

"With all those cameras on your screen, it doesn't seem like I need to go out there in the open." Shikamaru uttered. He had been holding a table napkin with a note on it. His guts was urging to convey the message in it to the sheepish, inopportune associate.

The dark young man casually held the napkin near enough for Udon to see even without his eyeglasses.

"Take this." Shikamaru could not hold back the forming smile on his face.

The young hacker went pale; after all, nobody could have known that Shikamaru had realized that he one of the many moles planted around Sabaku Temari. His glasses slipped towards the tip of his nose, contributing to another reason for him to remain speechless before the nightmare in a ponytail.

Shikamaru turned the laptop to face him better. "Checkmate."

The investigation of Udon was his completely his own doing. He had wanted to tell Temari but she had already placed her faith on the snotty teen. For the past twenty four hours, Shikamaru had crammed in hacking basics and scooped the best he could find about Udon. Luckily, it enabled the amateur hacker to find what is needed.

Udon stuttered. "A… a…"

"There's no need to be afraid of; I'm not a ruthless law enforcer or a gang hit man… but it depends really… I am a law abiding citizen, doing anything that deviates from that is… too troublesome." Shikamaru whispered, eyes focused on the events on-screen. "I'll be asking you three questions nicely and I'd appreciate it if you answer truthfully or else my friend will give you a beating. See that guy over there?"

Slender fingers pointed at a large figure under the lamppost about twenty feet away from the nearest corner of Roadhouse Studios. From the restaurant, most people would look tiny but Akimichi Choji is nowhere near small. The sight of the huge man with shaggy orange hair made Udon shudder visibly.

"He won't do anything unless I tell him to." Shikamaru patted the younger man's shoulder. "Now… how long have you been watching Temari?"

"I haven't really."

Shikamaru's calm demeanor was obscured by his threatening presence. "Don't lie."

"I..it's true. I haven't gotten any information about her… Actually, if I have to be really, really honest… I have been doing all sorts of jobs but income hasn't been steady but the boss, who was referred by a previous client, offered me a stable, monthly paycheck just to work in whatever way in the studio. He said all I need to do is to be near Temari for the mean time. I managed to get in as an intern just a week or two after she started recording. So far the boss, haven't asked me to do anything! Please believe me!"

"When was the last time this boss of yours contacted you?"

"Three days ago…"

"About?"

"Actually it was me who contacted him first. I told him about how Temari got me a job... you know about the recordings. At first, he was disinterested. I remember him telling me that 'I am placed here because of that'."

"That was the last time?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah…"

"My friend is one dial away." Shikamaru sighed. "You did not tell this boss of yours about what Temari is doing right now?"

"I didn't!" Tears were welling from his eyes. "Lord Tanuki will kill me!"

"Tanukis have lords now? Who the heck is this new guy?!" Confused with new name Udon dropped, Shikamaru could not help but speak his mind.

"He's the one who led me to Temari!"

Shikamaru recalled that it was Gaara who linked the noodle boy to his elder. Perhaps, he thought, Gaara got information that he is working in Roadhouse Studios. Or maybe, Gaara specifically looked for anybody in the studio who could be bought out and he eventually, found Udon who was there specifically for that reason.

"He was the one who arranged this deal, right?"

Udon nodded.

"Then, what did he say he's gonna do if you mess it up?"

"The guy said if I harm Temari in any way, he'll divulge my identity in the deepweb! He has some insane connections there so I'm totally screwed if he does that. I'd have to change my name, face and the rest of my body in order to live again."

Shikamaru chuckled. For the first time in his life, the sadistic nature of the Sabakus helped him.

"So that is keeping you from doing anything that could hurt Temari…"

"Yeah…"

"What would happen if your boss finds out?"

"He won't. I've made this occurrence completely invisible." Udon said. "He won't know if there isn't a way to know." Udon said with assertion.

"Next question…" Shikamaru said. "Do you know who this boss is?"

"Been trying to find out." Udon said while dropping his head. "All I could find out was that he's a vengeful rich man who has been in jail for ten or fifteen years. I'm not sure of the details but my contact gave some hints that he's this kind of person."

"So it's your deduction." Shikamaru's mind began to flash all possible scenarios. "But it could be true." His head nodded.

"I can't see the connection between Temari and a rich guy in jail. All I thought maybe he has some weird obsession with her because she's a pretty musician." Udon commented.

"Trust me, I don't see anything too." This time, he kept his insights to himself. After all, he was unsure of Udon's motives. He may be trustworthy but Shikamaru believed that somebody being controlled by threats and money is one who easily wavers.

Temari is still a Sabaku. To be a daughter of one of he most powerful families in the Wind Country or even the whole continent entails a lot of repercussions. Including being an enemy of your forefathers' enemies.

Soon, Temari had arrived in the IT facility. Shikamaru, aware of Udon's remorseful nature, reassured the younger man. "Please guide her. She is breaking two laws because she trusts you and I with her reputation at stake. I don't care if you sell me out but the moment you do anything to her, just like Lord Tanuki, I'll divulge your identity…in _real_ life."

Udon's eyes became as round as his frames. Gulping empty air did not do its purpose of calming him down. But he regained his senses on his own. Shikamaru could not understand how Udon did it, yet the struggling teen provided him with an explanation after.

"You don't need to threaten me anymore. I completely understand why you and Lord Tanuki are looking out for her. In my own way, I want to repay her trust with the success of this operation." Udon said.

Shikamaru and Udon watched Temari as she connected a USB device in the main computer.

"What's that for?" Shikamaru asked, curious.

"It's like an antenna which would allow me to remotely connect to that computer. It's almost invisible; nobody would notice it plugged in the port except for those with really good eyes." Udon said. "Now, all she needs to do is to get out while I would copy everything from that computer."

"You can do that?" Shikamaru was bewildered.

"Yeah… you know… at first I had second thoughts of exerting effort in this but after seeing her throw her life for it, I couldn't help but feel bad about myself." Udon smiled. "So, because of that, I was able to make this little invention." He began laughing nervously.

"Do you want me to let you in on a secret?"

"What's that?"

"I never thought that you'd be a mole but **there are times that the things that we don't think of are the ones which are true.** "

"If you thought that, how did you found out about me?"

"You see, I found your appearance too perfect. Temari needed a tech guy and she gets referred to a hacker who is in Roadhouse? It could be a coincidence but when you easily got the recordings, I knew that it's not a coincidence. It was as if you are ready to do it. I kept the idea on hold until the first time I saw you in person. For some reason, when we made the exchange, you were too composed for your type. There could only be two reasons for that; the first one is you're used to under-the-table jobs and the second is you knew what you're supposed to do it long before. The second hypothesis came about because someone out there has been doing subtle things to wreck her." Shikamaru's attention was diverted when he saw Temari trip on a cable. "I shelved the idea, until yesterday when I began hacking in the deepweb only to find out that you had taken on two jobs since June the first one was with **Nemo Anonymous** and the second one is with **Lord Tanuki.** From there, I checked your previous jobs…"

"I never had any…" Udon said.

"Precisely. So Lord Tanuki's advertisement that you're a famous hacker is a false rumor."

"Amazing." Udon said. "You figured all that out only after seeing me once."

" **Sometimes we are capable of doing things beyond ourselves.** " Shikamaru remarked.

"Will you do me a favor?" Udon said.

"What is it?"

"If you need anything else to find this person, I'll be glad to help." Udon said.

"Sorry…"

"So you still don't trust me…"

"It's not that." Shikamaru said. "It's not up to me to decide." Shikamaru stood up and ruffled Udon's head.

"Temari is a bit late. All guards have returned to her point of entry. I'll think something up to get her passed the guards."

"..right." Udon said.

* * *

Shikamaru offered the newfound a smoke to which the scruffier and younger gent awkwardly refused. As a precaution, Shikamaru did not cross the street until Choji had crossed from the other side.

"You better treat me Yakiniku tomorrow." Choji said with excitement.

"I have a reservation at your favorite place." While lighting his cigarette, Choji's arms shot upwards when he had heard of his reward. "But can you do me an extra favor? Can you keep an eye on Udon? Don't share a table with him."

"Sure." Choji said. "I'll be heading in."

* * *

Shikamaru puffed one lungful of smoke before crossing the ghastly, empty streets.

He called Temari.

"One tap yes, two taps no. Can you get out?" He said softly through the mic.

He heard two taps.

"Do these guys know you?"

She tapped thrice.

"Is that a maybe?"

One tap.

Shikamaru stopped walking towards her target exit.

"Are you sure? Is there another way out?"

He heard four taps.

"How troublesome…." Shikamaru said. "That's not maybe…"

Two taps.

"Is that… something along the lines of there are other exits but it's too risky—AWW!"

He heard two loud taps from his earphones.

"What the heck would four taps mean?!" He screamed at the microphone silently.

He heard ruffling. "Hey smartass. Didn't you hear a pause between the two and third taps?! You asked two questions in a row!"

"I hate numbers and timing." He said.

"It's a double yes, idiot!"

"There's no such thing as a double yes…"

"I've got an idea… I'm gonna climb out of the bathroom window. Outside of that there's a thick row of trees and the nearest lamppost is a bit far so we've got some cover. Wait for me as I crawl out…"

"Where in the world is that?"

"Let's see… The side facing the Photo Studio."

"That's at the opposite side of where I am." Shikamaru casually walked to box the point Temari was referring to.

"I can be seen here woman." Shikamaru said.

"Stop whining." Temari said.

"Stop talking or you might be heard."

She tapped once.

* * *

After ten minutes, Shikamaru located the side which Temari was referring to. He scoffed. As always, she is right. Nobody would be able to see them at that side of the street.

"I'm here." He said.

"I'll be waving my hands out of the window." Temari said.

Shikamaru easily spotted her arm.

He observed first his surroundings before positioning himself out in the open. Between the thick stretch of trees and the studio, there was an ample open space. Even a satellite from the orbit can spot him from where he was.

"Come out now." Shikamaru whispered loudly.

Temari forced her way in through the narrow window. She cursed every time she got scraped by the steel bars. Since the opening was only two by two feet, Temari had no choice but to either climb out with her head coming out first. The moment her upper body is out, she must drop herself out of that height and rely on the yawning loafer in slippers.

"Hey!" She called his attention as he zoned out.

"Are you crazy?! You're not gonna let yourself fall out of the window out of that height?!"

"On the count of three, one two three!"

Shikamaru grabbed both of Temari's hands as fast as he could to catch her as she descended. He felt all the weight on him. A sprain or a muscle tear won't hurt him but it would hurt her.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Shikamaru asked.

"No."

When Shikamaru saw a flash of light, he dragged her up and led her in the trees. He hid behind a thick tree trunk. Wrapping both of his arms around her, hiding her face from any light, he stood vigilant of his surroundings. His back rested against the cold wood, peering slowly to observe the patrol. Although his eyes were fixed on the security personnel, the rest of his senses were begging for his complete attention. He could feel her sharp breathing and strong pulse but he held her firmly to keep her from moving or making a sound. He was uncertain if it was his but when a strong heartbeat jolted him, Shikamaru had realized that the faster heartbeat was his own… Temari's was fainter… calmer. He stole a glance from her. He wanted to see her reaction but her face was concealed by her blonde hair.

When the patrol officer's flashlight was out of sight, he could not help but assume the worst; he remained in place for a exactly a hundred and two seconds after the tree grove had turned dark. Anything that could go wrong would spell Temari's doom and Shikamaru will do anything to avert it. Her eventual complaints crossed his mind but he would receive her grumbles than to be caught. Just as when Shikamaru was about to count a hundred and three, Temari forcefully pushed herself away from him.

"Let's go." She voiced.

"Not yet." He shook his head.

"It's too risky to stay here. Our chances out there is much better than staying."

Finding himself lost in the moment, Shikamaru simply nodded and slogged through the dense tree area. Temari, following closely behind him, urged him to walk faster time and time again. It was the logical thing to do, Shikamaru told himself but he wanted to absorb the events that had happen since she fell out of the window.

It was the first and second time he had contact with Temari.

Recently, he had been uneasy facing Temari not because he could not stand her presence like he did previously. Shikamaru had been suffering from the idea that he looked forward to hearing her painful, abusive words and seeing her atrocious snarling, pouting, and grumbling. Lately, he would prefer to be called lazy by the devil incarnate than to spend another minute with a certain insistent, blonde, glasses-wearing, admirer.

His actions the day before made warned Shikamaru that he was not his usual self. Going through the effort of learning basic programming to figure out hacking is unlike him. His unusual display of determination for the person who happened to be the sister of a friend of his friend who happened to be his acquaintance and a self-proclaimed rival of hers is beyond Shikamaru's internal code of conduct. The one possibility he had been avoiding for years has been finally confirmed on the second day of October 2021.

Shikamaru mustered the courage to admit that he like her.

"Where are we going?" Temari asked when she noticed that they were going the opposite way of where the restaurant is.

"Someplace else before meeting back with him." Shikamaru said hastily before crossing the street.

"And why?"

"It would be good to know your reaction if you found out that Udon is working for the guy who's after you." He said while he sat on the bus stop.

"Pardon?" Temari remained standing arms crossed.

"I found out about it yesterday… turns out he was sought by two people. The first one is with this Nemo Anonymous person and the second one is Lord Tanuki. They contacted Udon at June and September respectively."

"Who the heck are they?!"

"Even Udon has no idea who this Nemo Anonymous is but he had a hunch that this guy is someone who recently got out of jail and is executing his revenge plan which somewhat involves you for whatever wild reason."

"Fuck!" She jeered which he found quite inappropriate for the situation. Although he found her odd expression of disgust and anger cute. "How did he get past Gaara?"

Shikamaru recounted everything Udon had told, careful not to omit any detail. Her curiosity was absent, all he could see was that her emotions have clouded her judgment. His eyes on the other hand, observed her expressions carefully, leaving him to come up with the conclusion that her feigned strength since midnight was because she was feeling helpless.

"What do you think I should do?"

"Me?" Shikamaru said mockingly. "Have me around you all the time." It was a subtle of saying that he wanted to be around her more. She needs him more than he needs her yet he knows that he wants her company more than she would want his. It's an equal tradeoff, he thought, and he found the idea almost amusing.

"Copy. You're a much better alternative than going to the cops." Temari's voice sounded hoarser than usual. "I'm really lost, you know. I thought this attack was because of me but turns out its because of my family. Gaara told me that they were being followed around a few times in Sand."

"Isn't that… normal?"

"Nobody in the Sand City would do something as crazy as that. My father hates that kind of thing and if he lifts a finger on those interested, trust me, it won't be nice."

Shikamaru rambled on how the stolen tapes might just be a diversion for Temari to assume that they were after her as an artist and not as the daughter of Sabaku Rasa. When he noticed that she fell silent, he refrained from speaking until they had returned to where Udon was.

It turns out that only a full Chouji and a shaky Udon remained in the establishment. Shikamaru asked Temari to stay with Choji. When she sat there, she immediately curled her arms and began to nap against the table.

Udon had not finished downloading the footage but was certain when he had checked them they were the original recordings. Shikamaru, to avoid wasting more time, had decided to meet with Udon in another place later that day.

The hacker remained in the restaurant to continue the download. Shikamaru went out first and Choji followed suit but he was unable to wake the already sleeping Temari.

"Why didn't you wake her?" Shikamaru said.

"She's scarier than your mom and Ino." The soft-natured big person said. "Please wake her up for me."

"How troublesome…" Shikamaru said while ruffling his ponytail.

* * *

He observed the sleeping figure on the table. He sat on the opposite seat and had a generous view of her bare face. He never noticed that the illusion of her having dark lashes was because of its thickness. Her face was also smooth, rid of any imperfections even at his distance except for the evident dark circles around her eyes. To think that she isn't one to waste on beauty, the idea made him think that Temari could be a lot more beautiful if she did. But he took it back since her allure is partly brought by her rugged exterior. Thus, Shikamaru likened Sabaku Temari to an earth deity if she did not speak or move.

His hand almost went out of his hoodie's kangaroo pocket to stroke her left cheek which was exposed but a speck of manly pride he had secretly stashed somewhere in his Pandora's box came out and stopped him from doing so.

He was absolutely sure that the younger Shikamaru would spit on his face if he would continue from where his imagination had left off.

"Temari wake up."

She remained sleeping.

He shook her once.

No reaction.

"Temari… I'm gonna leave you alone and have Nemo Anonymous find you." He laughed when he said that.

"Sorry." He sat on the chair opposite hers.

"Since you won't be hearing me anyway… I guess you wouldn't mind if I told you that..."

He had second thoughts... after all, she could be faking sleep.

Chanelling all his inner chi, Shikamaru could only bring himself to mouth 'I like you'.


	17. Track 8 - Interlude - A Gloomy Sunday

_Before I jump into the story, I would like to thank everybody who had reviewed. I have not been regularly updating since early this year because I took on extra units to speed up my program in the hopes graduating next year and get over with academics._

 _ **The story so far:** __Temari, a 21 year-old frustrated, rock artist, was discovered by chance and signed to one of the largest recording companies. Her personal and work life was troubled by the shady Nemo Anonymous prior to the release of her first full-length album but she was able to stand her ground against his ploys with her wit with support from her unassuming consultant, Shikamaru._

 _The title is a reference to Gloomy Sunday which is also known as the Hungarian Suicide Song. I have listened to the versions of Pal Kalmar (original recording), Billie Holliday, and Bjork but I am biased towards Sarah McLachlan's rendition. Listening to it inspired me to make the Interlude track a cover song instead of an instrumental like most artists do._

 _Some scenes are almost filler-ish but in life, there are always a lot of dull moments._

* * *

When Temari was half awake from sleep, her mind recounted her acts of trespassing and data theft. She had lost recollection after Shikamaru had told her about Udon – everything was blank. Fumbling through her faint memories, Temari recalled the gist of Shikamaru's discovery and exact phrases or sentences however, all she could muster were foggy visuals.

But a phrase played around in her head:

 _"Have me around you all the time"._

It took several repetitions before Temari realized the meaning of the words. This caused her to open her eyes. She must have been too tired to remember proper details, and now her dreams are getting mixed up with reality.

She rolled under the smooth sheets to lie on her stomach but she fell face down on the floor.

"AHHHH!" Her forehead solidly against the concrete tiled floor.

While focusing her vision on the flooring, the pattern was unfamiliar. She looked around to confirm her exact location. Not a single thing signalled that she had been in that place previously. It was a place with almost zero furniture. Clean enough but there were signs of mess since there jackets and pants scattered around the room. She checked to see how big the bed was to see how terrible her sleep was, only to find out that it was a double bed... the smallest double bed she had seen in her entire life.

"So it's the bed's fucking fault." She rubbed her forehead profusely.

A tinge of fear plagued her as she saw the window. She was still within the Leaf City. To be precise, far from the heart of it since the Business District was a bit farther than her apartment.

"WHERE AM I?!" She yelled, as an attempt to warn of whoever brought her in today's prison. Reflex directed her to grab a wooden hanger hung on the doorknob. It would not do much in an actual confrontation but it's better than hitting a potential captor with pillows or strangling him with a blanket.

The second nobody answered she repeated her question in a louder volume, buying her enough time to prepare her tiny trap. She hid herself at the back of the door.

A grimacing Shikamaru opened the door. When he could not see her, he scratched his head and lazily looked behind the door...

Triggering a very long moment of staring.

"Why am I here?" Temari said while putting down the hanger.

"It's because you slept in the restaurant and we, Chouji and I, had no choice but to take you someplace you could sleep without being molested or kidnapped." He answered.

"You should have awakened me."

He groaned. "You never woke up no matter how many times we tried."

"Tsk."

"I'm making breakfast." Shikamaru said. "I hope you eat pancakes."

"I'm not very picky." She answered.

"You can come out in a while. I haven't started frying them. For the meantime, you can change into anything I have there in the closet to keep you comfortable."

"Fine." She said.

When she opened his dresser she was expecting to find crumpled clothing but surprised to see that everything was neatly hanged. Temari ran her fingers through each garment. Based on the clothes laid out in front of her, she knew that Shikamaru was a complete fashion slob. Almost everything were seasonal releases. There was originality in his clothing.

"This guy can learn a thing or two even from Kankuro." She said to herself. Considering that Kankuro had an awful fashion sense not too long ago, Temari thought Shikamaru was too far from salvation.

She chose among his several tee shirts. Most of them were green except for a few. There were Moliere, Mark Twain and Immanuel Kant statement shirts. She even found a statement shirt of Emily Bronte which made her cackle. She decided to wear the Emily Bronte tee but she saw a Primus* Band shirt hidden at the rightmost hanger.

"The guy listens to fucking Primus and reads Emily Bronte?"

Amused, Temari removed her long-sleeved top and jeans and wore the Primus top and a pair of his gym shorts. When she went out of his room, she could not help but grin as she approached the breakfast counter.

"I can't believe you listen to Primus." She said.

"Who wouldn't? They're awesome."

"I fucking hate them." Temari said. "My brothers play their songs all the time just to piss me off."

"If you hate them so much, why did you wear it?" Shikamaru placed a plate with two pancakes on it.

"Nothing. I'd rather wear something that you barely use. You don't seem like the type who listens to music." Temari stood from the counter. "Do you have maple syrup?"

"You can check the fridge." Shikamaru winced when his hand came in contact with the pan. "Do I appear that boring to you?"

When she opened it, Temari took out the maple syrup and chocolate syrup. She would have loved it if there was fruit to add for toppings. "Do you have bananas?" She took a fork from his utensils drawer. "You're not completely boring. It's just that you appear to be the bookish type of person who listens to pre-modern music to improve your reading."

"It's on top of the fridge." Shikamaru said while frying his share of pancakes. "I do not fit the classic elite guy in anyway."

"I'll get one." Temari grabbed one and prepared her breakfast. "I did not say that you're an elite guy."

She liberally poured both the maple and chocolate syrup on her pancakes. She cut the bananas with her fork and poured more syrup on them. "Well, most elite guys do that but not all bookworms who listen to classical music are elite guys."

"What are you driving at then? I'm neither the normal bookworm nor the typical elite."

"I have misjudged you." Temari clarified. "I've always thought you're… an old soul."

"That sounds way better." Shikamaru placed his plate opposite Temari's position. "Sorry, I don't have a dining table."

"I don't mind. I find this setup practical. Besides, it's impossible to squeeze in one in your apartment." Temari remarked.

"Well, not all people are as well-off as you guys. V'been living here since University."

"Can I play some music?" Temari stood up. In truth, she was more interested in seeing his music collection.

"Ah…" Shikamaru followed her to the entertainment area. "I've got some CDs and some audio in my phone. What kind of—"

"No way…" The blonde waved an album sleeve. "Some Girls, by The Rolling Stones? So tacky."

"It's my dad's." He explained. "Loaned it to me."

"Let's try something else." Temari giggled. "Gorillaz but this is their first record… Oh, you have Demon Days. That's way better."

"I can help you out with that stack of—"Shikamaru attempted to grab the other stack of CDs which Temari has not rummaged through yet but she immediately took it and skimmed through each one.

"So it's Demon Days first, then—SWEET! OK Computer by Radiohead would be next…"

"You like Radiohead?"

"They're revolutionary."

"They're not punk or outright aggressive."

"That's how they marketed me. I'm not all that." She smirked. "Your collection is not bad… you have Adult Standards—"

"Those are also loaned by my mother, I thin—"

"You even have quite a selection of post-gunge. Not quite a fan of it."

"Well… that's— it was a phase. It's not too bad is it?"

"Come on. It's not bad." Temari laughed. "But you have stuff like Alt-J. You like music; how come you never said anything about it?"

"What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "An album collection like this means that you're a music lover. Anybody with such keen interest would be enamored to talk to somebody else with a common interest.'

"The only thing I like about music is that it helps me unwind. I appreciate it but I'm not like you." He sat on the floor. "An artistic type."

"It doesn't matter; you never talked to me about it." Temari stopped looking through the CDs. "We could have gotten along much better since day one if we had talked about it."

"We get along pretty well."

"No." She refused his motion. "We _don't_ get along well."

"I think we do." Shikamaru said. "It's my turn to pick a CD."

"Do the honors." She made a bowing gesture.

"Primus?"

"NO!" She grabbed the CD from his hands. "Anything but that!"

"I think you would like Joan Jett Singles?"

"You have that?"

"I can stream it online." Shikamaru said.

"Cool." Temari said. "I guess we can have breakfast."

While feasting on the pancakes and listening to Gorillaz, Temari suddenly remembered the reason why she is in Nara Shikamaru's apartment. She has committed trespassing and data theft last night and Udon, whom she trusted, is planted by Nemo Anonymous.

"How did you figure out...Udon?"

Shikamaru sighed. "His position is too convenient for you. You needed a hacker sooner or later and you got linked to the guy who happened to be an intern in the same studio you are recording in. It's too suspicious."

"It could have been coincidence."

"At this point, I'm sure that the recent events are _not_ coincidental." He lit a cigarette. "Can I?"

"No use in asking me anymore since you're already puffing." She complained. She had nothing against the vice but seeing Shikamaru smoke too often whenever he's with her started to get into her nerves. "So… it's a fucking checkmate."

"No." He said. "He surrendered… sort of surrendered."

"How?"

"He has no plans of doing anything that can harm any other person. He only needed a couple of jobs which paid well. When he got the light of it, I'm sure Udon would not cross to the dark side. We could use this to our advantage. Udon can continue with whatever he is doing for Nemo Anonymous but we're assured that he won't do anything to harm you."

"I can't believe he actually did that."

"He had not done anything to that could place you in the hotseat… so far. I trust that he would be cooperating with us until the end of this day, or else our first lead would be gone."

"Do you think he can be relied on?"

"Yes." Shikamaru said.

Temari's phone began to ring. The ringing tone is the intro of 'Complete Control' by The Clash.

"What time is it?"

"Nine. Who did that song? Was it the Ramones?"

"Nah. The Clash." Since her phone was in Shikamaru's room, she missed the call. "I should get going. My brother's girlfriend is already looking for me."

His eyes widened. "Which brother?"

"Kankuro."

"Hold on…" His eyebrows crinkled. "The last time he was here, he went out with Ino."

"It's a ruse to get the pale guy jealous." Temari said. "I know it's hard to believe but I am certain that Ino and Kankuro have nothing between them."

"Are we referring to that brother of yours who has a puppet collection?"

"You're not the only one who's so shocked at the idea. I think everyone who knew him would be... well, except… Gaara." Temari said.

"What about Sai?"

"What about him?"

"He's hurt."

"That's his problem. Him and Ino's problem. It's not my business."

"You're an accomplice."

"Isn't it bothering you that you're acting too concerned about it?" Temari scoffed.

"Actually… it does bother me because it's not right… to play with other people's… emotions."

"I see the Emily Bronte influence now." Temari chuckled.

"She's a great writer."

"Don't talk to me. Talk to Sai." Temari said. "I'm sure you could knock some sense into him."

She immediately finished her remaining portion and stood up. "I really need to get going. I shall repay you somehow."

"I'll be treating Chouji to a buffet… you can join us… if it's not such a bother."

"Thanks for the offer but I should really — Hey!" Shikamaru grabbed her phone and typed a message while putting both his hands up in the air to keep her from reaching it.

Temari stepped on his couch, jumping over him. Shikamaru aware of the height, supported her left arm which anchored around his neck.

"Give it back!"

"No." Shikamaru, held the item away from Temari's reach. The blonde attempted to unleash from the lazy lanky person she was strangling but he held her in place even though he was out of breath. Both of her arms were now locked in his arm. Although he was thin, he had the strength to keep her from releasing herself.

Both wrestled for the possession of the device but Shikamaru held on until it beeped.

"New message from Kurotsuchi." He announced.

"GIVE IT TO ME!" Temari, clawed the man's thin skin on his neck to make him let go but he did not budge.

"You have to try harder than that." He said mockingly.

"STOP IT! Give it to me!"

"Join us—AWWWW!" Temari bit his upper arm. Proud with the fact that her incisors were much sharper than the average person, she even bit much harder.

"Give it back." She moved her mouth minimally to make sure her bite did not loosen.

"Eat with us."

"Fine. Let my hands go…"

"Okay…"

As he loosened his grip Temari tugged his ponytail sharply, causing him to lose his balance and land on her. She wriggled her way out of his weight and grabbed her phone. She checked what he had seen in her phone. At least, he did not sniff too much since he only sent a message to Kurotsuchi saying 'Sorry, I'll be back after lunch. Some friends asked me out.'

"I win." She snarled at him.

"How troublesome… it broke." He said to himself. Shikamaru undid his ponytail since his hair tie broke.

"Don't you have spares?"

"No."

She sighed. "Use one of mine. I can always tie my hair into one instead of four." She helped him up, which he received with surprise. He almost jumped on her as he stood. His face was a breath away from hers and their eyes locked in a fast yet deep, penetrative gaze. She was not sure which one happened first. But it did not matter. She was worried that he would have seen the gush of blood on her face. Unsure if it was because of the contact of their hands or the distance between them, Temari was aware that the sudden proximity of Nara Shikamaru caused her heart to race.

Ordering herself to move away, she noticed that her hand still held his.

"I... should fix up." She said while pulling her hand quickly and looking away.

* * *

Before heading to the restaurant, Temari incessantly bugged the bag of bones to a chain stationary shop. She bought him a set of hair ties which he argued to pay for but had realized he did not have enough cash on him. She did not rub it on him anymore but it was their first and last form of proper interaction since they had set foot outside his apartment.

They took separate cabs to get to the mall and did not walk alongside each other. Shikamaru lagged behind her by several meters.

But she had to text him about the hair ties.

She just had to.

The blonde arrived in the All-You-Can-Eat Restaurant by 10:30. It was cozy but private enough. She was worried that she might get recognized but it seems that the staff did not mind her even if some of them had taken a second look at her.

Shikamaru came in minutes later, zoning the place. When he saw Chouji's mane, he froze.

"What's wrong?" Temari asked.

"Ino's here."

"What's wrong with that?"

"It's too complicated to expl—"

The bubbly girl's light blue eyes identified them and gasped in excitement. She ran out of the reserved table and hit on Shikamaru's shoulder.

"You're late!" She switched. "Hi Temari! I didn't know you're coming too!"

"Uhm… We just bumped into each other in an accessories shop." Temari smiled. "Shikamaru didn't tell me that you'll be here."

"Whenever Choji gets treated it is imperative that I must be treated too."

"I'm not that rich." Shikamaru said.

"I'll pay for my plate and Ino's." The gentlewoman in Temari wanted to save the lazy bag of bones from another earful from Ino.

"It's not—"

"I came here uninvited." Temari argued. "I think I should compensate for that."

"Shikamaru!" Ino yelled at him and made a funny, taunting face.

He looked between Temari's teal eyes and Ino's light blue eyes. "Do what you want." He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Unbelievable useless ass!" Ino whined. "Come on Temari, let's go to the ladies' room."

Without any chance to protest, the artist was dragged by the energetic lady.

"I can't believe Shikamaru! That's why he doesn't have the balls to ask a girl out!"

"Huh?" Temari said. "I've heard he's dating someone from our project."

Ino gagged. "Wait… is this a certain blonde?"

"With glasses? Yeah. Seems pretty nice." Temari said with spite. She found Shiho too superficial for Shikamaru although she was fairly attractive.

"He turned her down." Ino said. "It's very one sided. I think she's a bit dull. I mean she sounds okay at her job but she has…no depth. Since he's too lazy to be a better person, he won't get what he _deserves_."

"Shikamaru thought you and Kankuro have a thing going on."

Ino laughed. "That idiot is so slow. I did not let him on it since he's worse than Sai. If he knows that I'm making a move on Sai, he would call me crazy 'coz he'd think Sai is…nonromantic."

"How's your progress?"

"Your brother has been pushing Sai but it seems that he needs more push." Ino said.

Neither Temari nor Shikamaru directly spoke to each other during lunch. She was bothered his reclusion and it began since she insisted that she paid for half the bill. How did she notice? His answer was not how the usual Shikamaru would answer but it was not out of the ordinary either. He had wit but he rarely used it since it was, quoting, "too troublesome. But he only had one plate of yakiniku and it was even handed to him by Chouji and he kept on staring out of the window. Ino had made several cues at him to get him out of his bubble but he simply brushed her off. The normal Shikamaru would have grumbled but listen to her anyway.

After feeling that Choji and Ino were adjusting to her, Temari took it as a signal that she was tensing the group.

"Guys, sorry I need to get going. My roommate is sorta worried." Not entirely. After explaining everything that had happened to her in past twelve hours during the entire cab ride, Kurotsuchi had already heard enough. Besides, the girl was out of their apartment to finish up some schoolwork in the library.

She stood up from the table to avoid Ino's hands from keeping her seated.

"Is that so?" She glared at Shikamaru. "He can walk with you."

"There's no need to." Temari said. "I really enjoyed lunch. Thanks."

"See you Temari." Choji said, a bit surprised.

"Bye." Shikamaru said.

She gave him a quick bow and turned her back. She was nearing the mall's exit. Although a bit uncertain, she heard her name from behind.

Unsure if it was her name being called, she ignored it.

Somebody, then, tapped her shoulder.

It was none other than her hired yet unpaid partner.

"Temari… do you have… a moment?" Shikamaru said.

"Sure." Temari said. "Must be very important for you to run after me like this."

"I haven't told you that I'll be going with you to the Wind Country."

"I thought nobody from Captio would join. Only from the Wind Country's side."

"Kurenai sort of changed her mind. Actually, we all changed our minds because we're the ones manning the project. Not even those Reza idiots."

She laughed. He actually called them idiots. "I'll see you on Wednesday afternoon then."

"How about tonight?"

"Eh?"

"The tapes?"

He smiled. "This day until Wednesday, I want you to forget everything about the packages, your stolen songs, Udon, the CCTV footage, trespassing and data theft. I'll get the tapes and knock some sense into the poor kid."

"I find it unfair."

"Consider it as an extra chocolate for him. You have to give him the credit that he did not sell you out since he respected you. If I were him, I would not want to confront you face to face."

"Fucking weakling."

"Precisely because he's a weakling. If you were dealing with somebody stronger, I would not stop you from going. But that's the least of your worries; you're tired, Temari."

"But it's not my thing to pass my stuff to others."

"You're not passing it to me; I am taking it from you deliberately, with or without your consent."

"Do you think I'll back down easily?"

"No, but I'm winning." Shikamaru smiled. "The reason you went out earlier was that you're tired. I noticed you were less talkative and spunky during lunch. Thus, you went ahead and faked a phone call."

"How did you know?"

"You played Complete Control from your music player."

"You win." Temari said. "I can't believe I owe you again for this!"

"Add it on the tab…"

"Anything else?"

She shook his head and waved goodbye.


	18. Case 2: The Tapes

Thank you so much for all ya guys who have been so patient to read this fic. Tbh, I considered dropping it a few months ago but your reviews and faves convinced me to do otherwise. I've never written anything in my life that was as well received as this fic . With that being said, thank you all so much. :D

Also, I shall be taking into account your suggestions/comments once I finish this story.

infinite eternity \- I must have missed that one! Thanks for pointing it out. XD

Jay Leonardo, Inuzuka-Shouko, ohud63, sylversmith, donutlovestea, kreesalys and the guest commenter/s - Thanks a lot for the boost!

I'm gonna fix up the earlier chapters, you know condense them or something, 'coz I realized while rereading them that I wrote most of those things to get a feel of the atmosphere of the story but not necessarily relevant to the story itself.

* * *

 **Case 2: The Tapes**

The dingy geeky cafe put off Shikamaru even when he was miles away from it. There was no central theme and the inappropriate selection of characters, symbols from each fandom bothered him to the point where he had considered changing the meeting place. But he did not have the energy to do so and entered the war zone of ideas.

"I did not ask Temari to come anymore." Shikamaru said.

"I was worried she'd come." Udon said. "I'm not ready to face her yet. I haven't even gave Lord Tanuki any message...online."

"If you want, I can explain things to Lord Tanuki." Shikamaru said.

"No… I should face him on my own. Blondie too..."

"Just so you know, she was not offended at all." Shikamaru said. "Actually, she appeared not to care about you being a Judas."

Udon began to be uncomfortable but his eyes were distracted by a forgettable scene from the first season of Star Trek.

"Lighten up. We're not here to contemplate on the past." Shikamaru reassured him, who was equally intrigued with a River Tam (from Firefly or Serenity) standee placed right in front of a Star Wars Wall.

"Right…I will send you a link. There are security questions that only you can answer." Udon said. "It will expire in a few minutes."

"Thanks buddy." Shikamaru said.

The awkward college student clasped his laptop with both of his arms but remained seated. Taking this gesture as an interest to leave, Shikamaru stood up and fixed his seat.

"Wait a second... Are you leaving?" Looked at him.

Confused, Shikamaru said. "It's not the best time for a chat but I can stay for ten seconds longer." Without adding that he got up because he thought that Udon was leaving as well.

"That's not it." Udon said. "Actually... It was that but… it sounds too selfish."

"A piece of advice, my friend; avoid these kinds of jobs. You're a good guy. And you are too good to play amongst the wolves."

Shikamaru could not remember how he came up with the analogy of the wolves. It sounded like a ripped out line from a mafia or a western film but he meant what he said to the young man. Every morning, his active mind always reminded him that he could be identified as Temari's confidante if he acted less strategically. There were attempts to hack into his accounts, particularly, his online resume, but he took down some information about him. Any hacker would not be able to retrieve that he had attended the same secondary school where the youngest Sabaku had his exchange program. They never crossed paths in years but any quick-witted bastard might see their connection at the very moment.

Luckily, not all bastards were as smart as him. If this Nemo guy was even as smart as Temari, she would be doomed. The only advantage he had was a good eye on Temari.

* * *

As soon as the video player's screen turned black, Shikamaru attempted to utter the fanciest expletive he could think of but eventually settled with a simple "Fuck".

He had played the last two frames of August 2 for seven times consecutive times. To make sure his eyes weren't fooling him, he stared without moving his eyelids during the important frames.

His eyes were not fooling him but reason would speak otherwise. There was no doubt that this person never crossed his mind.

Shikamaru reviewed his mental notes. This person was included in his list of suspects but he never paid enough attention to him due to lack of evidence or an error arising from Shikamaru's lack of suspicion.

Two hours of watching through the surveillance footage did not dull his senses. As a matter of fact, he felt as if they were at their sharpest, ruling out the possibility of hallucination.

He arched his back against the computer chair and stared at the ceiling. It had been a long night. But fruitful.

With the evidence he had at hand, his undeveloped hypothesis was confirmed.

This person had zero prints in the deepweb (this person shall be referred to as TP afterwards). TP had no visible connection with Nemo Anonymous and Udon even confirmed that he never had a face to face meeting with TP, therefore confirming that he is much closer to Nemo Anonymous that Udon.

Udon was definitely not Nemo. The young man had little or no malice in his eyes. He simply got hired for the wrong job at the wrong time which was somewhat favorable for them since they got the tapes with his help and last minute change of heart.

Shikamaru now was left with more pieces of the puzzles that did not help him grasp the real picture—

a. Why Temari is being attacked in the first place? Is it because of her persona as the artist or her heritage?

The evidence he had and what she had experienced so far would point out that it's because of her identity as an artist. But if somebody was interested to give her unwarranted attention for whatever reasons, they would make sure it is known, not in secret. Which is why Shikamaru leans more on the possibility that this is a family business matter.

b. Nemo Anonymous

They still have no idea on who he is. He could be TP or Udon but Shikamaru had already ruled out Udon. And after pounding the poor lad, he still had not gotten anything, not a single hint about Nemo Anonymous. All paths lead to TP and that's exactly what he would do.

The next morning, Shikamaru reported for work but requested for field work starting that afternoon until he returns from the Wind Country. Iruka wanted a reason but Shikamaru already had Kurenai vouch for him in HR.

"It's only waiting for your signature…" Shikamaru said.

"If you used that brain of yours properly, you would be President of the Fire Country."

"I'm not really interested in government. Thanks for this boss."

* * *

With his papers set, he had a day and a half to locate Temari's eye. His first best, boring but necessary stop would be to pay a visit to an admirer he had been avoiding. His actions might lead her on but he had no choice; it was only one time.

The receptionist of Reza got excited when he showed up on their doorstep. Of course, they were thinking he was there to ask Shiho out or something. If he had to buy her flowers that day and the following, he would do so just to get the information he needed. On most days, he would not attempt to fool somebody for his convenience.

"Hi, I'm Nara from Captio Consultancy. I'm part of the marketing project. Is Shiho in? I was in the area and I just wanted to drop by and say hi."

"You can go in." The receptionist answered while trying her best to look disinterested.

"Sorry?"

"She's in the Marketing room. Yellow door down the hall. I'm sure you won't miss it."

 _So she wants me to appear like a head-over heels suitor._

 _Not a chance._

"Dial her number on that phone or I will have a smoke right here and now." He acted like how Temari would. The woman had her way of getting things done in her own way. Sometimes, being a power tripper has its advantages.

The girl shivered and did as he said.

"Hi Shiho, it's Aki. Somebody needs to talk to yo—" She was forced to hand the phone to Shikamaru as he grabbed it.

"Hi Shiho. Can I speak with you?"

"Shikamaru?! Oh gosh… I'm… actually yes. Uh… about?"

"It's about the promotional tour." Shikamaru said. "I only need five to ten minutes of your time."

"Sure. You can come in the yellow door."

He returned the phone to the receptionist while keeping his face in its most neutral expression. No words of gratitude or anything else. He walked down the hall keeping his eyes forward, avoiding the stares of the giggling pair of women who caught a glimpse of him.

"Hi Mr. Nara…" She darted her eyes away from him.

"I know you're busy but it's urgent." Shikamaru said. "I need to speak to Temari's team about certain last minute changes on Wednesday's itinerary."

"I thought that was finalized?" Shiho reacted.

"It was but… let's keep this between us, okay."

She nodded.

"Temari comes from a pretty influential family in the Wind Country which nobody is supposed to know about. Captio only had word about it because our office in Sand City had some business with them previously. So this family requested to handle Temari's security from airport to airport."

"What?!"

"From the moment she arrives in the country until she leaves it. Basically, they don't want the security people we have." Everything Shikamaru had been saying to her was a lie but he knows it won't have any bearing because it only exists in the confines of Shikamaru's skull.

"What should we do?"

"I need authorization to talk to Guren alone."

"You know I can't do that!"

"You're the one who sets appointments with her, correct?"

"Yes but…"

"I only need her number." Shikamaru said. "I have to persuade her to convince Temari's family to stop their royal charade."

She sighed. Shiho looked through her phone.

"I'll forward it to you."

"Write it down. You don't have my number."

"I might make a mistake, Mr. Nara."

Shikamaru sighed. It was a sacrifice he needed to make.

"Fine."

She squealed silently. "Sent."

His phone beeped. "I got it. Thanks."

* * *

He returned to his office immediately after getting Guren's contact number. Some people were already talking about the recent lapses he has been making in other projects since focus was devoted elsewhere. And in the coming days, Shikamaru would not be even in the office anymore.

 _So much for office politics._

He resigned in the chair before making the long-awaited call.

"Who is this?" She said.

"It's Captio."

"I know who you are. Nara, is it?" It was definitely the no-nonsense Guren. The sound of her voice wears him out because she was everything Shikamaru was not; organized, hardworking and determined.

"Yes Miss Guren. I need to chat with you."

"I'm in Shinobi Records right now and would head straight to Roadhouse Studios in an hour. Can you wait for three hours?"

"Lucky you. I can drive you from Shinobi to Roadhouse." Shikamaru said. "It's so urgent that I can't wait three hours. Don't worry, I won't take much of your time."

"Then, I'll be expecting you." She answered.

* * *

Shikamaru rented a car specifically for that meeting. He was sure that Guren would accept the quick meeting in the car.

"I'm all ears." She said as she got in the car.

"Temari's family wants to handle her security in the Wind Country."

"Is this some kind of joke? If something like that is to happen, I would be the first to know."

"I spoke to her brother." Shikamaru said as he entered the freeway. It was a necessary lie, but he can talk to Kankuro at a later time to keep things consistent.

"Which brother?"

"Sabaku Kankuro. 23 years old. Brunette. Light olive complexion. Brown eyes. Eldest of three children of Sabaku Rasa and Karura. In spite of being the eldest son, he is not named as the heir to the business empire as published in the papers a couple of years ago, but I have known this fact way before than that. Graduated from Suna University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. A business development manager in title. Handles affairs concer—" All of this he said very fast.

Peering at the rear view mirror of the vehicle, he saw Guren scowl horribly. "Alright, alright. I'm convinced that you know him." Guren paused. "But that doesn't validate if your statement is factual. Why would he go to you? I could not even properly remember you."

"Doesn't matter. They don't trust you anyway." He said.

"Pardon?"

"I know exactly what you are." Shikamaru said. "You stole Temari's recordings and leaked it. Forced her to write a couple of extra songs just before production."

"That's some serious allegations there, boy. Do you have any proof?" Guren said.

"Why don't you guess?" Shikamaru noticed that she hated probing and he would do exactly that to keep her edgy.

Guren remained silent.

"You actually got the tapes? I had a tough time tampering it." Guren, began laughing. "I never thought anybody would care."

"You confirm that you were caught in the cameras." Shikamaru said.

"I didn't." She answered firmly.

"But I didn't say anything about the tapes." Smirking, Shikamaru just had to enjoy the moment. He had cornered TP a.k.a. Guren a.k.a. The Perfect Manager.

"Well… I had a tough time getting those tapes. What I did was not exactly legal so..." He added. "I would keep the lid on it on one condition."

"How good is this condition of yours?" Guren said. "I'm not sure if I should be even having this conversation with you."

"Give me the name of your employer or everything goes to the Tabloid."

She laughed again. "That won't work because you're a…nobody."

"I'm not exactly 'a nobody'." Shikamaru said. "With the evidence I have, the press and the police won't care if I'm nobody. If you don't give me the identity of your boss, everything goes to the news."

"Of course you'll give me time to decide." Guren said.

"And let you to set me in a trap? Don't worry, I don't mind giving you a few days for you to trap me." Shikamaru said. "Actually, I feel like giving you one week. Isn't that too generous?"

She chuckled. "Amateur."

"That means you have to stay here to find away to lure me into the trap." Shikamaru said. "So, in exchange for that one week, I get to play as Temari's manager from Wednesday to Tuesday evening."

"No."

"It's a great deal. I would accept it if I were you."

"I don't think like an idiot, _idiot_."

"Then this goes out in the press."

"Not until I kill you first."

"You can't kill me while we're in this car because I'm holding the wheel." Shikamaru said.

"Not now... but later" Guren paused. "I don't think I should even be talking to you."

"Then I'll be seeing 'Manager leaked Temari's Demos' in tomorrow's headlines." Shikamaru said. "Repetition is a sign of nerves."

She exhaled deeply. "What do you want again?"

He kept his triumph to himself. "Your boss's identity and your position as manager in exchange of the tabloidsandyour one week prep time to kill me off or whatever."

"If I accept that, it would make you an idiot and that's what I'm going to prove; I'm accepting it, therefore you're an idiot." Guren said. "And I win even before you play your game."

"Let's see about that."

Shikamaru stepped on the brakes abruptly, causing Guren to slide out of the backseat.

"Are you out of your mind?" She slammed the driver's seat.

"You're supposed to go to Roadhouse right? Find your way out." Shikamaru said. "You don't want to look angry for this meeting. Artist managers can be fired if they don't act the way they should."

With all her energy, she closed the door. Shikamaru could feel the whole car shake. He was not bothered by one bit since it was a rented vehicle.

She was nervous.

Shikamaru turned off the recorder hidden in his jacket pocket. He caught Guren, on tape, saying that she was the one who tampered the tapes. The whole conversation also pointed out that she was TP. He could easily envision her using basic video editing software to cut out the scenes when she sneaked in. But what Shikamaru could not follow was her motive behind it. Guren is a professional… or she acted like one. If she did, she was awfully good at it. Temari's borderline-neurotic personality would be much harder to deal with compared to noisy, spoiled, brats because she demanded excellence and Guren delivered this.

From day one, everything Guren had been doing for her brilliantly was a front to something else… which Shikamaru was still figuring out. She did not seem to have a reason to do so. If she had a personal or business grudge against Temari, Guren would have exhibited vengeful statements based on how she was quite anxious earlier.

Yet Guren did not appear bitter at all. In Shikamaru's opinion, she did not care about Temari at all. But there was obvious hints of discomfort. Whatever it was, Shikamaru had to find out about it during their promised day.

At least, he can keep her out for a week.

If ever Temari had to see her evil manager tomorrow, Shikamaru would be around to keep an eye on her.

It made sense now; Guren knew Temari's work schedule and sometimes, even her personal schedule. Notwithstanding her personal information, address, bank accounts, habits, and everything else that could be observed with keen senses. Apparently, Miss Manager may not be very intelligent but she's highly observant and nit-picky. Shikamaru was sure that she made a Dashboard about Temari and handed it to Nemo Anonymous on a silver platter.

In that one week in the Sand City, he can only imagine what she had plotted but at least he'll be the one following Temari around. At least, in that way, she has better chances of not dying. He would take that time to convince her about Guren. To begin with, he was sure he will need to convince her because Temari trusted the wrong woman.

Or not.

He was not sure.

 _Temari is intelligent._

He can dedicate ten hours of lecture to anybody who is interested to hear the proof of her mental capabilities. But sometimes, she over-analyzes things and overlooks the stuff right in front of her. It was a normal flaw of the smart ones, especially those in distress. And Temari was not exactly in top condition the past few months. If anything, she's close to being mental.

Shikamaru lit a smoke when the traffic light turned red. He had been smoking too often lately. Most of the time, when he's talking to Temari, to stop him from doing anything stupid. Perhaps this was the first time he smoked in the past few months without her around.

The risk to get the information he needed was too high. He lacked the resources to establish proper contingencies and relied mainly on his and Temari's reliable cognitive abilities. Although, for the upcoming rounds, they would have the leverage because Temari will be in her home turf. Both her brothers are there. Her family's influence and money would also play a huge role for her temporary safety. He was sure that Guren's little plan there would be her final counterattack. It might be big but at least, it would be hard and visible evidence to get her quit as manager. Her absence in the tour would also backfire against her.

Shikamaru stepped on the brakes to late and hit the bumper of the cab in front of him. He paid the driver all the ryo found in his pockets.

Later though, he would be pissed that his week's allowance was used up because of a mistake caused by his wandering head. The cost of getting Guren out was too high, he thought, but at least they are slowly gaining momentum.

Once Guren is out of the picture, Shikamaru is praying that the packages would stop coming. It was the very thing that is stressing Temari out and she's not aware of it. If that case was closed, she can finally, live a quieter life with her new roomie.

It would buy Temari enough time to setup safety nets against Nemo Anonymous. In addition, Shikamaru would maximize the opportunity to learn everything about him.

* * *

The rent-a-car business did not notice the light dent on the car's front bumper. He was willing shell out more of his pathetic salary but the heavens gave him a blessing he could not be thankful enough. He wanted to call Temari right there and then, but he was not feeling up to it.

He answered his phone which has been ringing endlessly. "Nara."

"Hey Shikamaru!" A male pretending to be a female said.

"I know it's you." It was Iruka.

"I thought I got Shiho right."

"It was terrible. What do you need me for?"

"She called up and told me that you had urgent business with Temari's team. She was sort of asking a status update just in case Reza might need to do some last minute adjustments."

He sighed. "I'll take care of it."

"And tell her?"

"The city stops won't get affected. We will just have some problems with the venue security." Shikamaru began rubbing his temples. The girl could not contain her mouth. "I… I contacted our counterpart in the Sand City and they said that their protocol has more paperwork than here."

"I owe you one on this. Just make sure everything is in order, okay?"

"Sure…" Shikamaru said. "By the way, I found a way to communicate directly to Guren." He mentioned it for insurance.

"Really?"

"Finally convinced Shiho."

"You finally made the effort to talk to the girl."

He sighed. "Are y—"

"Come on Shikamaru. After January, you don't need to talk to her anymore. Just… be civil."

"What a drag…" He said.

"I guess you need to call her now. Bye!"

He grunted at the idea of speaking to her, let alone call her. But after today, he would not be needing to do so.

"Good afternoon, I'm looking for Shiho."

"It's Shiho. This is not a telephone you know."

"You called Iruka about an update. I thought I made it clear that there would only be problems in terms of security. There won't be any changes in the schedule whatsoever. You could have asked me earlier." He wanted to register in Shiho that she shouldn't be calling everybody around whenever she's not sure.

"S..sorry. It has been… almost four hours since we had spoken and we're kinda getting hectic here."

"Could've called me."

"I called you. Twice." She said.

He chuckled. "I was driving Guren from Shinobi Records to Roadhouse Studios while we were talking about things. If I ignored your call, it's because it's not in my agenda during the time you made your calls."

"Sorry… Uhm." She said.

"Is that all?" She asked.

Shikamaru wanted to point out to her flatly that he should not even be talking to her any longer but she was of use at the moment. "Yes…" He said. "Bye."

He had to play the bastard. Difficult but necessary.

* * *

By 06:30 AM of the following morning, Nara Shikamaru left his apartment to walk four blocks away. He discovered that Guren was renting a space in a luxury condominium not far away from his, so he took this piece of information as a leverage.

He had to wait by the entrance since the doorman would most likely, call their tenants whenever somebody is waiting out for them. Every second passed and not one had missed his eye. Shikamaru only had to look at every single one of the people in the apartment. Yet, not one looked like Guren.

At first, he had reconsidered asking the doorman if Guren had a car. But it was out of the question, with his appearance yesterday, she would definitely be more careful. Although, he had recalled that Guren never drove a vehicle.

07:12 AM — she walked out of the entrance. She walked to the edge of the pavement to wait for a cab. He was simply watching her; he had not noticed that he lapsed.

He was twelve or fourteen meters away from Guren. Running at that distance to stop a person from riding a cab seconds away is impossible.

He almost missed a chance…

But there was always an opportunity to make.

He dialed Guren's phone. Based on the nature of her job, she would not let it ring more than once. At the sound of it, she panicked. She opened the door of the cab but did not ride it.

"Guren."

"Would you mind walking with me to Red Crystal Crew's?" He asked.

Her eyes looked around the area. To save her the effort, he waved his free hand in the air.

"I'll take that as an acceptance of my invitation." He said.

She hanged up immediately and approached him. Furious, she showed a small pistol tucked in her skirt. The bulky coat covered it well. "I can use this better than you can use your head." She whispered.

"I just want to talk." Shikamaru said.

"We talked yesterday."

"But you never walked me through the turnover." Shikamaru said.

"Go fuck yourself."

"08:00 – you have to check the flight schedule of everybody from your end. 08:30 – you will drop by and say hi to the manager of Kimimaro. Apparently, you're fawning over this guy's management skills but you're after his contacts in the Sound City. Around 9:00, I think you have to check on Reza's loose ends before heading out to meet with Reza people and Captio people for polishing, which I would be attending also. My guess is it would be finished at around 11:00 but everybody would insist on everybody staying in for lunch so you might be out at 1:00 AM at the latest. For the rest of the afternoon, you'll be babysitting."

Guren laughed. "You must have spent too much money to get that information."

"Just a couple of... zeroes. Sometimes, bootlegged basic programming books helps you the most." Shikamaru said. "I've been using technology too often lately that working with it became my midnight past time."

"What do you want this time?"

Now he had caught her. "I want to be around you for the rest of the day, until you meet Temari."

"You're concerned about her this time?"

"She can't know that you're the bastard. Not yet." Shikamaru said. "If she finds out…"

"What?" She taunted him. "You're not gonna threaten me with those tapes, would you? Do you know the basics of negotiating? One is to one. The tapes are for another deal."

"You're dead." Shikamaru said. "In every way." He said.

She sighed. "Gotta do better than that. I can kill you right here without raising suspicion. Give me a reason not to."

He heard the pistol click yet she was still on the losing streak.

"Yukimaru."

She froze. Her already fair face turned much paler. "How did you know?"

"I've told you how."

For the rest of the day, Guren had allowed Shikamaru to keep a watchful eye on her but he kept his distance. She also feigned a hoarse voice and a slight fever so her disappearance tomorrow would be justified.

The Crew would have somebody else fill in for Guren, Shikamaru thought, so Guren had to arrive in the Wind Country but would return immediately because she has a cold. He believed it would work; everyone would be surprised about the sudden development and it would be too late to send in a replacement, therefore, it would give him a chance to volunteer. If people would ask why he should assume her responsibilities, he can simply say because he knows her personally.

It was high time their colleagues knew about it. As a precaution, she should have a visible guard and it had to be him.

"I will be seeing her now." Guren said in her real voice.

"One last request." Shikamaru said.

"What do you want?"

"Get sick. For real." He said. "You have to be quarantined and sent back to the Fire Country tomorrow. I can only play manager once you're out of sight."

"Done." She said.

Guren has been increasingly compliant when he dropped the name 'Yukimaru' in her face. He does not know their exact relationship except that she always goes to the hospital he's in whenever she's on vacation. He did not want to be a sadist but he had to. Even if it means using a patient.

* * *

Shikamaru had to admit that he was amused when he saw Guren escorted by two immigration officers in the quarantine area the following day. The Wind Country has strict regulations when it comes to welcoming sick foreigners. Temari blamed her for not listening to her to begin with.

"I told you that you can't pass through immigration even if it's a slight cold." She said for the nth time.

Now, without Guren, everybody seemed to be lost.

As the sole representative from Captio from the Leaf City, he had full control over the wheel on their end.

"Huddle up everyone." He called out to Reza's team of five and Temari's team. "Everything will proceed as planned. That's all." He said.

"Who would keep track of things? Guren always does it!" Gin, a music geek, who was identified as the 'Assistant Manager' said to the rest of Temari's crew, consisting of two Sound Technicians, a Wardrobe Stylist, a Makeup Artist, three Roadies and two Security, when nobody else was close enough to hear him.

"Excuse me, you're Gin aren't you?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah…"

"You have a copy of the schedule, right?"

"Yes but… you know how Guren does things. She keeps everything in her head." The young man complained. "I assure you I can't work as well as her. Managing everything else, managing Temari and the band. Just thinking about it makes me go nuts."

"If I take care of Temari, would it be easier for you to work?"

"Huh? Well… yes. To be honest," he leaned in, "I never even spoke to her. Just the time when she introduced herself to me."

"I'll help you out." Shikamaru said. "I'll handle Temari and you do the rest."

"Thanks man!"

Now, Shikamaru understood how far Guren planned ahead–

She isolated Temari from the rest of her team so, in case Guren is not around, she would be crippled. The fox had made sure that Temari would not have anybody else to trust. It was greatly fashioned but she made a mistake. Guren never calculated that there would a crazy guy called Nara Shikamaru who would risk his neck to help Temari out.

He saw a flustered Gin instructing Temari what to do. She absorbed every information but there were moments when she was about to roll her eyes. She did not like talking to people in general and with his aloof demeanor with her is not helpful.

When she caught sight of him in her periphery, she gestured for him to come over while Gin was still explaining things.

"Gin…" She said.

"Yes?"

"You could have briefed this guy along with me." She said.

"Right." The Assistant Manager looked down, pursing his lip, with a 'fuck off expression'.

He started from the top and this time, she could not help but to roll her eyes.

"Our first stop is the Desert City which is at least a five hour drive from here. You would be heading first in the Oasis Hotel, same with the Kamatari guys and security. The rest of us would proceed to the Beige Art House to see how things are for tomorrow's performance. Once you arrive there, which is, approximately at 5PM, you can meet with Captio's local reps. After that, you can entertain a few of the journalists present in the venue but don't give away anything that you will say in the press release. Also… don't forget to talk to talk to—to—hold on—" he checked his schedule, "to Ren of Super Jump! Magazine, they're a big deal so just give them something. And, please don't show yourself too much in the public because you know how much they love you here…" He gave a nervous gurgle.

"He missed out a couple of things." Temari said. "I have a separate vehicle. The boys will have their own."

"Guren was supposed to be in any car she's in, so… can you please accompany her? It's just for today." Gin said. "I really need to check—to get to the venue—straight to the venue."

"I understand." Shikamaru said.

Gin could have delegated his task to one of the Sound Technicians; he simply avoided the task of being with Temari for five hours.

She immediately snugged herself in the sedan, even before Gin had told them which vehicle they should be using.

"I can't imagine how you can endure her." Gin whispered.

"She finds the arrangement rude." Shikamaru said. "If she's too sour for you to take, all I can say is you guys brought it unto yourselves. You could have made her share the same ride with the rest of the band. After all, they're going to the same hotel."

"It's protocol… she's a solo artist."

"She's not, Gin. They equally split royalties among the band members. I don't see a reason to do protocol if they are earning the same money."

"She has songwriting and producing credits… She also gets to have all the spotlight on her."

"It's because she writes songs and produces them." Shikamaru argued. "There's nothing wrong with earning more because she actually does more. And if you're bitter about her playing as an artist under her own name, then talk to the label. It's them who wanted to make a solo artist out of her."

"You don't have to get cranky." Gin said.

"I need your business card." Shikamaru said while lighting a cigarette.

"What for?"

"What else? I need to contact you and you also need to contact me. Also, I need to show this card to prove that I'm connected with your team. How can I get in all those restricted places?"

He scoffed and gave Shikamaru two copies.

"At least you got this one right." He threw the cigarette on the ground and stepped on it.

He got in the backseat of the vehicle. Seated in front of them were two men who appeared out of nowhere.

"Who are these guys?"

"Local security." Temari said.

He mouthed. "What?"

"Don't ask me."

The car suddenly moved. Shikamaru was surprised by the abrupt movement but he saw the van where Gin was in, driving in front of them.

"Are you given instructions to follow them?" He asked the men in front of him.

"Yes." The driver said.

Guren really did plan far ahead. He was not pleased with this.

"I'll take care of this." Shikamaru told Temari who has been pouting with crossed arms.

"I don't care about it at all." She said. "I've had much worse."

He dialed Gin's phone.

"Gin here."

"It's Shikamaru. Save my number."

"Okay.. onto—"

"In the next gasoline station, I want a shuffle of people."

"What for?"

"Are you an idiot? We don't know any of these guys." He said softly. "If you don't do it, you won't have a job anymore.

"Fine, fine. I cannot have Temari in this van or else I'll be out of my job." He said. "The best I can do is to join you guys or have one of the security guy in there. I'm sorry, I can't do anything out of line or else Guren will have me by the noose."

Shikamaru paused. The guy was a complete knucklehead and the perfect, unaware, pawn of Guren. "The backseat is roomy. You'll be snug here."


	19. Track 9 - On the White Sands

**Track 9 -** **On the White Sands***

 _*Title a reference to Ishikawa Takuboku's Tanka_

The humid desert weather kept her awake. Seeing the harsh noon sun illuminate the vast, desert plains reminded her of the life she left. Not a year has passed since she had moved to the Leaf City but Temari felt like it was a lifetime ago. If she did not pursue music full time, she might have graduated in her third year in college. Perhaps, she would be looking through companies or organizations to work for. Most likely, her father would encourage her to work for theirs but it would the last on her list. After all, Temari did not want to be branded as the one who moved up the ranks because of her father. Kankuro can accept it because _he did_ take advantage of this fact.

Many questions bombarded her head–

 _Will I still play music by the time I start working?_

 _Will I have as much fun in an office compared to the fun I get when I'm in a studio or onstage?_

 _Will I be still the same person if that had happened?_

 _Will I be better or worse?_

All these things cannot be answered since it is not the life she led. The life she in is a mess. Her work demands her to do everything in-character and on-point. A mistake can cost her months of work or thousands of sales. Her private life should be protected at all times, or else, people will exploit her. Lastly, there is somebody out there who is ruining her for reasons unknown.

Now, she would trade everything to get out of it. She even missed her dysfunctional family.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"2:30." Gin answered. He was on the opposite end of the backseat.

"Can you see the sea from there?" Temari asked.

"Not yet." Gin answered. "What's so special about this rumored desert beach?"

"You'll see." Explaining it to him would rescind the peaceful zone she was in.

Not far from where they were, there's an evident disturbance in the hot, stagnant weather. It can be observed with the moving sand and the erratic wind. From the speed they're moving, she was sure that they will arrive in their destination long before the sandstorm strikes.

Nothing could happen in such a beautiful day.

She was sure that the car continued moving.

It ran over a rock but that's it.

A desert squirrel almost crossed the street. Luckily it did not, or else it would get bloody.

What else could go wrong?

When the vehicle stopped, she chuckled to herself.

 _Of course, everything about my life is wrong._

The sudden stop caused her head to hit against the driver's headrest. A little more force could have given her a bad bump.

"Who breaks when running on 120?!" Temari screamed.

"Oil's out." The driver said.

He and his companion went out to check the vehicle. Both Temari and Shikamaru's eyes leered at the gauges.

" _The gauge_ says so." Shikamaru said.

She pulled down the car's windows and went out, along with Gin and Shikamaru. Not a single vehicle was passing. The van they were supposed to follow was ten miles ahead.

Gin pulled his head. "No signal."

"How's the engine?" Shikamaru asked the driver and the security person.

"Pistons are fried." The driver answered. "We either need to ask for your friends to drive back or wait for a vehicle.

"In the middle of nowhere?" Temari said. "You should've seen the indicator go ballistic but you didn't refill the oil!"

"There's no signal here." Gin announced to everyone. "Best we can do is to wait for a vehicle to pass by."

"And hitch? Great idea." Temari sat on the nearest sand patch.

After twenty minutes of waiting for a vehicle, Temari sensed the winds worsening. The driver and the security person also noticed this but they did not appear worried at all.

"Why don't you guys get in? I think there's a sandstorm coming." The security person said.

Shikamaru called her but she shook her head. Temari was certain that these men were plotting something. In a fist fight, they had zero chances of winning against these men. Gin had zero fighting experience while both she and Shikamaru were too small compared to them.

"The local said there's none." Shikamaru answered.

"She's been out too long." The driver said. "Best to trust those who never left the country."

"Come inside the car Ms. Sabaku." The security person said.

Shikamaru lunged forward against the bigger man but he was restrained by the driver quickly. He had reacted too fast. It was a costly mistake, now he cannot move.

"How did you know my _real_ name?" Temari asked calmly. She had a strong foreboding that they were gonna strike in a deserted road in the Wind Country.

"You're a _Sabaku?"_ Gin said to her. He became agitated at the very moment of confirmation.

The bigger one approached Temari but Gin stood between them. "We—we can talk about this."

"Attaboy." Shikamaru commended him.

"We were ordered not to hurt anybody." He said. "Just get in the car."

"You heard them guys." Shikamaru said.

"Who knows if they planted explosives in the engine?" Temari said. "I won't get in."

She remained seated on the patch.

"For godsakes Temari!" Shikamaru, almost begging, uttered.

"I suggest we listen to them." Gin said.

"Third time you ever talked to me." Temari responded. "Lucky for you I always listen to my managers no matter how big of a moron they are."

* * *

The three of them were locked inside the vehicle, watching every move their captors made.

"They have no way out unless there's a car waiting for them." Temari said. "That's the only chance we gotta get out of this place."

"We can't risk it." Shikamaru said.

"So we can rot here?" She answered.

"They have a pistol each." He said. "We can't match up to them. If we try, it's certain we'll die."

"So we can die in a sandstorm?" Temari reacted. "Are you crazy?!"

"That means we have better chances. All we need to do is to—" He gestured to keep quiet.

The men had a radio. From their rear, there were a couple of motorcycles approaching. The driver and security guy left them. They were locked in the car.

"So that's how they could contact somebody else." Shikamaru uttered. "Makes sense."

"This car doesn't have a radio, FYI." The blonde insinuated.

"If somebody here knows how to tweak with electronics, then maybe he can try to make a radio out of this car's." Shikamaru said.

"Do you know how to do that? Because I know I can't do that." She said.

"Gin?" Shikamaru said while grinning.

He shook his head strongly.

"He can't even identify suspicious men, are you trusting our survival with him?" Temari complained.

"Just asking." Shikamaru said.

"I'm so sorry!" The stressed out assistant manager exclaimed. "I didn't know—I—"

"It's not your fault." Shikamaru said. "It's Guren's."

"Huh?!" Gin said.

"What are you saying?" Temari said.

"She's working for Nemo."

"Wait…" Temari said. "You mean to say she's the one you saw on the tapes?"

"Yes." Shikamaru said.

"Can you explain what's going on?" Gin whispered to him.

"Ask her for permission." Shikamaru said.

Gin dropped the idea immediately. The artist was aware that he would avoid her at any cost even if his curiosity is bothered. Temari remained quiet for a moment.

The sandstorm arrived.

They were quite safe inside the vehicle but the risk of it rolling over was there so they remained vigilant.

"It makes sense if it's her." Temari said.

"It makes sense but it's hard to believe..." Shikamaru added.

"It's easy." Temari said. "It's much easier to believe because it's _likely._ "

She caught Gin's eye which averted her gaze instantly. She pitied the poor guy but at the same time, she disliked him. If you're in the middle of a sandstorm protected by a small sedan with three people, you would have no choice but to get along with both of them.

Even Gin.

"A few of my demos were leaked last August." Temari started the story of her demise. "Apparently, Guren made a mistake because these were really old demos; they hardly resemble the song now. It was around this time that Shikamaru found out that my real name is being used in both Captio and Reza's documents even if I was supposed to use my screen name on all legal documents. There was a time that I was attacked by two men when I was on my way back to my apartment. I almost got caught but I managed to shake them off. Soon, I received daily packages of photos of me. Which stopped when I got a crazy note. Now, we're stuck in a damaged car."

"In a sandstorm." Gin added.

" _In a sandstorm._ " Temari reiterated.

"All of this is Guren's doing?" Gin said.

"Not entirely." Shikamaru said.

"I think so too." Temari said. "She's just a part of the whole."

"So there's a mastermind." Gin confirmed.

"Definitely, a guy who can pull strings." Shikamaru said.

"I'm so sorry…" Gin said.

"What is he apologizing for?" Temari asked Shikamaru.

"It's because I did not do my job as an AM." Gin had a point. "If I was not half-assed, I could have noticed something was off with Guren."

"Well, I can't blame you; she's too efficient." Temari said. "I'm gonna have a tough time finding a replacement as good as her."

Shikamaru snorted. "In spite of all this, all you think about is work?"

Gin nodded.

"Nobody's perfect." Temari said.

The sandstorm was not as violent as advertised. Temari was relieved that it was not a terrible sandstorm as it only barely shook the vehicle as it passed. But Gin, who shook like a leaf, could not stop himself from attempting small talk.

"Sandstorm's done." Temari said.

"Are you sure?" Gin said.

Shikamaru widened his eyes, signaling 'don't do that'.

"I grew up here, mofo." She went out first.

"Do you have a plan?" Shikamaru said.

"Let's start walking." Temari said. "That way, we will have a chance to live."

"I found two liters of water in the rear and that's all." Gin said.

"How about blankets? Jackets?" Temari asked while stretching her back.

"None." Gin said.

Temari said. "Come on guys let's start walking…"

* * *

The contrasting desert hue and deep sea blue relaxed Temari as she walked along the road. In an hour, not a single vehicle had passed the road. She had been wondering why the heck they decided to land Sand International Airport when they were supposed to go to Desert City. They should have bought plane tickets to the nearer airport, the Cacti Airport. Since it was Guren who did the bookings, of course she tweaked it for Temari's inconvenience. It's her fault for trusting the able manager, who turned out to be a bag of evil.

"Let's rest." Gin said.

"I suggest not." Temari said.

"We can't walk here forever." Gin argued.

"An hour, not forever." Temari said.

"How come there's still no signal here?" Shikamaru asked.

"Because this area is a wilderness." Temari said. "Around five years ago, KHI wanted to purchase a part of this area to develop it into a Desert Park. The prime minister vetoed the proposal because he wanted a billion ryo."

"Damn, are we talking politics now?" Gin commented.

"Their family owns KHI." Shikamaru said.

"KHI?" The Assistant Manager inquired.

"Kazekage Holdings Incorporated."

His eyes widened.

"How come you reacted when you found out I was a Sabaku?" Temari asked.

"Two things. I know that they own a Bioengineering company but I never knew that it was just part of the KHI and Sabaku Gaara." He smiled. "He's a good player."

"You saw him play?"

"Uh-huh. Only once when he was still in high school. When I heard him, I thought this guy is a genius, turns out he's a genius in everything he does and music is just his plaything." Gin said.

"Gaara really is a genius." Temari said. "That's why he's being groomed to take over our father's position."

"What about Kankuro? He's the first born." Shikamaru asked.

"Kankuro?" Temari laughed. "He's just there to clear the way for Gaara. You see, he doesn't want nobody messing with our… munchkin. I would have done the same thing too if I had a normal career."

Shikamaru and Gin made a lot of small talk while Temari kept her distance between them.

"What's your story?" She asked Gin suddenly.

"Me?"

"Yeah." She nodded her head while looking behind.

Shikamaru laughed because he noticed Gin did not expect it.

"Well… I love music. I really enjoyed discovering artists and bands when they're still indie and get sick of them once they lose their flair." Gin said. "Idol groups, metal bands, folk singers, name it, I have obsessed over at least one kind of musician in my life since middle school. I guess, when I entered college, I was unsure of what I wanted to do with my life. I simply enrolled in an arts program because I thought it was easy but I ended up changing courses because I'm not visually artistic." He skipped over a rock. "After five or six years, I managed to get a degree in business but before graduation, I was already working in Red Crystal Crew as a publicist. Since I had fun, I didn't bother practicing my business degree in a corporation. I thought, maybe I can manage an artist that I really respect and help them cultivate their place in the music scene… but for seven years, I have not yet reached the rank of an artist manager."

"You could have exerted more effort." Shikamaru commented. "Toil the extra mile."

"It's not as easy as it sounds. Guren made it from an Assistant Manager to a Manager under one year. I've been an Assistant Manager for four years. Life is simply unfair. She's made for it and I'm not."

Shikamaru continued the conversation into coaxing Gin that Guren is not the perfect artist manager he thinks she is. After all, she had deliberately, placed her artist in danger several times in a span of two months.

When Temari checked her watch, it was already 4:20 in the afternoon. She wanted to take a rest but there was still no sign that they are nearing the border of Desert City. The van could arrive in the hotel at any moment. Of course, if they noticed that their car is out of sight, they would have requested for a search on them.

But Guren is careful.

She would not let anything affect her un-crafty exploits.

"Damn! This view is so majestic!" Gin commented. He started walking on a higher ground.

Temari said. "Wait 'til you get to Desert City."

Shikamaru also began taking photos of the place. Temari took a look for a second time. Even if she had seen the same sea embracing the desert shores, she still felt the rush of her blood through her veins.

 _Was it excitement or anxiety?_

She recalled asking herself the same question over and over again until the day ended. Her mind was a mess so she could trust the conclusion she had made at the moment of bliss. The combination of warm, arid air and salty breeze were a forgotten sensation. Her familiarity with resurfaced after several minutes. Ten, fifteen—she was not sure. But she was convinced that she longed for a simple, quiet life.

A busy one she can manage but if she had the choice, she would always give it up.

The whooshing of the strong wind currents and the splashing of the violent waves soothed her clouded head…

Except at distance she could hear a pair of cajoling men.

"Keep it down, will you?!" She yelled at them.

They were a good fifteen or meters away from her. With the thickness of air, any sound they would be making would be eaten by nature.

"DID YOU SAY SOMETHING?!" Gin screamed back.

Temari could have answered but the men would not hear her. She stood nearer to the edge and looked at the drop. Again, she did not feel terrified at all.

The first time she had seen Desert Sea was when her father took every relative he had during an ocular. Temari could vividly remember how youthful her mother had looked then. Her maternal uncle and mother's twin, Yashamaru was also there. His favorite spot to read at was under the umbrella. That time, he was preparing for the bar. Baki, a distant relative from her father's side, was also there. Although, all he did was keep an eye on both Kankuro and Gaara. Mostly Gaara. The only time he looked at Kankuro and she was whenever he would approach Gaara.

Their family's arrangement then was not the best but it is one of her fondest memories. It was the only time she had seen their family together.

Gin called out to her. He was much farther away now. All she could make out from his hand signals was that he's asking her to join them.

Shikamaru was a bit nearer. He seemed to be running towards her direction.

"Why are you running back? It's a waste of energy." Temari said.

"The only way we can move without stressing ourselves out is to walk through this edge while… playing around." He said. "Unless…"

A grin formed on his face.

"I'm not tired. And no, I won't be carried by either one of you."

He held a hand out.

"Come on." He said.

She shrugged her shoulders but took his offer of support to stand up.

* * *

It was five o'clock and the sun is not yet setting. They have descended down the ridge and have reached the level of the beach. During the first few seconds all of them played with the water but as the sun disappeared, it became less fun when Temari had told them of the horror story about the Desert Goddess who died because she was accidentally drowned by a fisherman. To avenge her death, she would place any evil men in a ditch whenever they set foot on the shore.

Gin distanced himself from the shore as far as possible. Shikamaru did not seem to be bothered but he appeared more alert than usual. Temari, knowing that the area is uninhabited, have kept her guard up even more especially since the night is coming fast.

"We have been walking for two and almost three hours and not a single vehicle has passed." Gin said.

"Do you think the guys ahead would notice we're missing?" Temari asked him.

"If they know we are missing, I'm sure they would make a fuss." Gin said. "But we have got no search party yet."

Shikamaru lit a cigarette. "If somebody's looking for us, we should be in the hotel right now and doing all glorious things."

"Hey…" Gin walked alongside Temari. "I've been wondering about something…"

"Hmm?"

"Do you have a remote tracker?" He said.

"I've removed it a long time ago." Temari said. "And I requested your company to never do something stupid like that again."

"In cases like this, it would come in handy." Gin said.

"During official business. But you can't put on and remove trackers like that easily." Temari uttered.

"I'm kinda lost." Shikamaru said.

She shrugged. "They inject this stuff in you. Like this thing for pets."

Out of nowhere, Gin caught up to Temari.

"After this, I'll file a case against her." Gin said.

Temari stopped walking. "No… not yet. It's too noisy."

"Don't worry." Gin smiled. "You won't be involved. It will be a case between artist managers. I assure you, it will be quiet. Nobody would care about the lawsuit filed by Ginkaku against Guren."

"Your name is Ginkaku?"

"Uh-huh."

"Funky."

"Guys! Moving light!" Shikamaru said while running towards the road.

The rest of them run after him and caught up. The car was ten minutes away but it was moving at a tremendous speed.

Temari stood at the straightest path she could find.

"We should stand along the road and do whatever we can to divert his attention. Use lights! Phones!"

Shikamaru pulled her arm. "Get out of there! What if he hits you?!"

"It's a straight part of the road. He can see us from afar so he'll have time to brake."

"Just don't stay on the right side of the road! Stay on the left!" He was yelling at the top of his lungs.

"We're making a human blockade?!" Gin screamed. "What if we die?!"

"Nobody's gonna die!" Shikamaru said.

Temari had an idea. "I know! Both you guys stay on the opposite sides of the paint."

Just like Temari suggestion, the vehicle had honked just when it had made the sharp turn. All three of them kept on waving their hands in the air. The red Ferrari slowed down. It came into a full stop five meters away from them.

A fashionable man in his late twenties or early thirties, went down from the car. He was huge. Much taller than Shikamaru and bulkier than Kankuro.

"We apologize for this, but we really need to get to Desert City." Temari said. "We will give you whatever you want once we get there."

He removed his shades. "Are you Temari?!"

 _Fuck._

She nodded for there was no use in denying it. After all, if her status would get them a ride she would stake it.

Shikamaru handed a card to the man. "Good evening, my name is Shikamaru, and this is Gin. We're part of her team. Our vehicle broke down several miles back—"

"I saw that—"

"We would really appreciate it if you give us a ride." Shikamaru said in his faux friendly voice.

"As much as I would like to help everyone, my car can only carry two people." He said.

The burly man's phone rang.

"He's got signal!" Shikamaru reacted.

Temari and Gin checked their phones but they still have none.

"What's your carrier?" Temari asked.

"A-Mobile." He said.

"Of course." Temari grunted. "We have bad signal because we're using K Cell!"

The large man cancelled his phone call. Apparently, he was much more eager to stare at Temari.

"So, who's gonna ride with me?" He asked.

"Everybody." Temari said.

"I ain't driving them." The stranger said while looking disgusted at the men she was with.

She fumed. The man, whoever he was, was wasting time. "Who do you think you are?" Temari asked.

"Daimaru. I'm a pro footballer." Daimaru winked at her. "So, wanna exchange numbers?"

"Never heard of you. I'm thinking that's your only fancy car." Temari said. "My brother has an Audi, a Benz and a BMW so that Ferrari of yours is shit to me. Besides, that's just my brother's. I also have cars myself." Temari smiled. "If you want to still drive that shitty car, I suggest you drive it with the three of us, or one of us will steal it to get ourselves out of this shithole. You don't want that, do you?"

"You want her number?" Shikamaru said.

"Sure." Daimaru cocked his head.

"I'll give it to you once we get there one piece. All three of us." He said.

Temari glared at him as he pushed her forward to ride the car.

"What the fuck are you thinking?" Temari mouthed.

"Sorry." Shikamaru whispered back. "Priority is to get out." She tapped her shoulder.

Daimaru unlatched the passenger seat and asked Gin and Shikamaru to cramp in it. Temari was the first to move inside it though. She could not stand the idea of the guy's bragging.

"Gin and I will seat here because we're shorter than him." She told the footballer.

"She's just playing hard to get." Shikamaru nudged Daimaru's shoulder, who became too cocky at the remark.

Surprisingly, Shikamaru made Daimaru danced at his palm. The young man is the best silver tongue she had ever encountered.

As soon as he boarded the passenger seat, Shikamaru changed from his normal self to the flatterer. "Are you number nine in the SCFC?" An incarnate of the devil's tongue himself.

"Yup. That's me." The grin on the stranger's face expanded tenfold. He was too happy that he was recognized.

"Which position do you play?" Shikamaru asked.

"Defender. I'm a natural Sweeper, but you have to work with the team." He did not have the standard Sand City accent. Temari placed him somewhere in the northern region since Daimaru soft in a softer voice and had a wavy intonation.

"SCFC is a contender." Shikamaru said.

"They are." He answered.

"Just don't ask who my bias is." Shikamaru added.

"Come on tell me." Daimaru coaxed him. Of course, he would want to know who his competitors are.

"I'm from the Fire Country—"

"Leaf City FC?" Daimaru finished for him.

"I was gonna say but I support the Earth Country's team so much that I am considering migrating there."

As much as Temari would love to listen in on them, Gin whispered at her. She did not comprehend what he was saying so she accidentally snarled at him.

"What?" She asked.

"I was asking if you want something once we get there." Gin garbled.

A question concerning her well-being. Something which she had not received in a long time from a stranger. Ginkaku is almost a stranger whom she knew by name and by face.

"Some time alone." Temari said. "You could keep off the interviewers."

"I'll give them written answers." Gin said.

" _That_ will save a lot of time." Temari answered.

"I know how irritating they can get." Gin elaborated. "They can ask you all sorts of nonsensical questions like how you are related to the security guide you were speaking to five minutes ago."

"I agree. They make an issue out of every little thing." Temari nodded.

"If anybody finds out about what happened to us, I'm sure tabloids would come up with all sorts of stories."

"All far from the truth." She corrected.

"That's the best description for that." Gin said.

In a few sentences, her opinion of Gin changed immediately but her rational side kept her from erasing her disposition on him. Guren's Assistant could be forcing a conversation to keep himself busy and nothing else.

The idea was inspired directly by the pretender she knew too well.

She can't trust him but he might be handy.

The sparsely illuminated waters calmed her. The breeze even made her feel a bit sleepy although seeing the man in front of her reminded her of real things that needed caring. The sound of the engine and velocity had drowned all the sounds surrounding her. Whatever she was seeing and feeling, were all secondary to her thoughts.

She wanted for the calm to extend far out.

At the rate the vehicle was going, they should be arriving in the city soon. Her little peaceful moment would be lost in a few miles and reality will return. Running away from it is futile, she thought, although stress and fatigue cannot be discounted.

 _What else?_

 _Who else?_

Shikamaru was right there along with everything else. Her dependence on him has been snowballing day by day as much as she want to deal with her problems herself but he seems to find the next best step to take just by his impressive reasoning. Temari could not do that as well as he did, she would rather look at the big picture first before figuring out the rest of things. Perhaps that was the reason why she was relying on him, although she could not see the reason why he was helping her out.

There could be all sorts of reasons and she could not pinpoint what exactly would be the best general idea in the situation.

His presence alone gave her a sense of security. If she was with somebody else, anybody for that matter, even her brothers, she would have been scared out of her mind. But she was at her calmest disposition ever since the day full of errors began.

She admitted to herself that lethargic person had already rubbed off on her and she would not mind going to hell if he is right beside her.


End file.
